Anapid Family, genus and species unknown

Other Names: Tiny Orb-Weavers

Family: Anapidae (Ground Orb-Weaving Spiders). 18 species known in Australa, 150 estimated total in Australia. 220 species known in the world.

Size: Body size 0.5 to 2.25 mm

Distribution: The East coast of Australia from tropical QLD to Tas., and the South-west corner of WA. Also in caves on Christmas Island.

Habitat: Anapids are most common in leaf litter and moss on the floor of rainforests. Some Tasmanian species are exclusively found in caves and have reduced or no eyes.

References: Framenau, Baehr & Zborowski.

About the Ground Orb-Weaving Spider

They have six or eight eyes, apart from some cave-dwelling species.

Note that dead spiders usually fade in colour, so nearly all the spiders will look blacker or darker in colour in real life than they do in the photos of dead spiders from the museum.

Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney.

See Also

Australian Mammals
Australian Frogs
Australian Fish

Return to Australian Spiders