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Australian Garden Orb Weaver (Eriophora transmarina)

The Australian Garden Orb Weaver is a kind of spider with a chubby belly. It’s part of a big family called Araneidae, which has lots of different spiders around the world. In Australia, you might spot them hanging upside-down in their webs, ready to catch some food. Here, we’ll give you cool facts about them.

Scientific Classification

Australian Garden Orb Weaver

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

  • Size: The females are relatively larger than the males, with the former having a length of 20 to 25 mm, while the latter having 15 to 17 mm.
  • Color: Usually have mottled brown bodies, but individuals exhibit a large range of colors, from off-white through tan to almost black. Some specimens have a longitudinal stripe in white or red, running down the middle of the abdomen.
  • Other Characteristic Features: They have a stout body with a large, almost triangular abdomen in the shape of a leaf, having two distinct humps towards the front.
Garden Orb Weaver

Eggs

After copulation, the female lays its eggs in a silk egg sac which remains attached to a structure close by. The eggs generally hatch around a month later.

Spiderlings

The baby spiders usually come out during spring. The mother takes care of the young ones and tries to keep them safe from predators until they are considerably mature. The juveniles take very little time to develop and attain sexual maturity by summer.

Are Australian Garden Orb-Weaver Spiders Venomous?

Yes, Australian Garden Orb-Weaver spiders have venom, but it’s mainly to help them catch their food. It’s not very strong for people.

Can Australian Garden Orb-Weaver Spiders Bite?

They can bite if they’re scared or bothered. While the bite might feel a bit itchy or sting for a bit, it’s usually not too bad for most folks.

Australian Garden Orb Weaver Web
Australian Garden Orb Weaver Image

Ecological Importance and Behavior of Australian Garden Orb Weaver

Australian Garden Orb Weavers play an important role in controlling insect populations within their habitats due to their predatory behavior. They often weave their webs near lights where there are higher chances for insects to approach flying and remove their web each day at dawn before reconstructing a new one each night.

When threatened or in danger these spiders are known to play dead as a defense mechanism against predators such as birds (the most common being honeyeaters).

Natural Predators: The main natural predators of Australian Garden Orb Weavers are birds such as honeyeaters who hunt them while they are spinning webs or when they are out hunting for food themselves. Other predators include small mammals such as rats and mice who will sometimes raid spider nests looking for eggs or juveniles that haven’t yet reached maturity.

Prey-Predator Dynamics: The relationship between Australian Garden Orb Weavers and their predators is complex and dynamic due to the fact that these spiders need certain conditions in order to survive – such as access to light sources near which they can spin webs. This also attracts potential predators like birds looking for easy meals themselves.

As such, both predator and prey must be able to coexist within the same environment without either species becoming too dominant over the other; otherwise one could suffer greatly at the expense of the other’s success.

Relationship with Humans: Australian Garden Orb Weavers have been known to build webs around human dwellings such as houses or gardens; however these spiders pose no real threat since their venom isn’t very strong (although some people may experience allergic reactions when bitten). In general, these spiders should be left alone unless they become overly aggressive or start building webs in areas where people frequently pass through.

Quick Facts

LifespanThe females live for up to twelve months, while the males die soon after mating
DistributionMainly across the coastal regions of the eastern states of the Australian continent
HabitatMostly in the openings between trees and shrubs
Common predatorsMainly the birds, with the most common being the honeyeaters
DietInsects, commonly bugs, flies, beetles, as well as large prey like cicadas
Australian Garden Orb Weaver Spider
Australian Garden Orb Weaver Picture

Did You Know

  • They often weave their webs near lights where there are higher chances for insects to approach flying.
  • It is one of the rare species that would play dead when threatened or in danger.
  • These spiders remove their web each day at dawn and reconstruct a new one each night.

In conclusion, the Australian Garden Orb Weavers are an important part of the ecosystem, and while they can bite if provoked, their venom is not dangerous to humans.

The Australian Garden Orb Weaver is a kind of spider with a chubby belly. It’s part of a big family called Araneidae, which has lots of different spiders around the world. In Australia, you might spot them hanging upside-down in their webs, ready to catch some food. Here, we’ll give you cool facts about them.

Australian Garden Orb Weaver

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

  • Size: The females are relatively larger than the males, with the former having a length of 20 to 25 mm, while the latter having 15 to 17 mm.
  • Color: Usually have mottled brown bodies, but individuals exhibit a large range of colors, from off-white through tan to almost black. Some specimens have a longitudinal stripe in white or red, running down the middle of the abdomen.
  • Other Characteristic Features: They have a stout body with a large, almost triangular abdomen in the shape of a leaf, having two distinct humps towards the front.
Garden Orb Weaver

Eggs

After copulation, the female lays its eggs in a silk egg sac which remains attached to a structure close by. The eggs generally hatch around a month later.

Spiderlings

The baby spiders usually come out during spring. The mother takes care of the young ones and tries to keep them safe from predators until they are considerably mature. The juveniles take very little time to develop and attain sexual maturity by summer.

Are Australian Garden Orb-Weaver Spiders Venomous?

Yes, Australian Garden Orb-Weaver spiders have venom, but it’s mainly to help them catch their food. It’s not very strong for people.

Can Australian Garden Orb-Weaver Spiders Bite?

They can bite if they’re scared or bothered. While the bite might feel a bit itchy or sting for a bit, it’s usually not too bad for most folks.

Australian Garden Orb Weaver Web
Australian Garden Orb Weaver Image

Ecological Importance and Behavior of Australian Garden Orb Weaver

Australian Garden Orb Weavers play an important role in controlling insect populations within their habitats due to their predatory behavior. They often weave their webs near lights where there are higher chances for insects to approach flying and remove their web each day at dawn before reconstructing a new one each night.

When threatened or in danger these spiders are known to play dead as a defense mechanism against predators such as birds (the most common being honeyeaters).

Natural Predators: The main natural predators of Australian Garden Orb Weavers are birds such as honeyeaters who hunt them while they are spinning webs or when they are out hunting for food themselves. Other predators include small mammals such as rats and mice who will sometimes raid spider nests looking for eggs or juveniles that haven’t yet reached maturity.

Prey-Predator Dynamics: The relationship between Australian Garden Orb Weavers and their predators is complex and dynamic due to the fact that these spiders need certain conditions in order to survive – such as access to light sources near which they can spin webs. This also attracts potential predators like birds looking for easy meals themselves.

As such, both predator and prey must be able to coexist within the same environment without either species becoming too dominant over the other; otherwise one could suffer greatly at the expense of the other’s success.

Relationship with Humans: Australian Garden Orb Weavers have been known to build webs around human dwellings such as houses or gardens; however these spiders pose no real threat since their venom isn’t very strong (although some people may experience allergic reactions when bitten). In general, these spiders should be left alone unless they become overly aggressive or start building webs in areas where people frequently pass through.

Quick Facts

LifespanThe females live for up to twelve months, while the males die soon after mating
DistributionMainly across the coastal regions of the eastern states of the Australian continent
HabitatMostly in the openings between trees and shrubs
Common predatorsMainly the birds, with the most common being the honeyeaters
DietInsects, commonly bugs, flies, beetles, as well as large prey like cicadas
Australian Garden Orb Weaver Spider
Australian Garden Orb Weaver Picture

Did You Know

  • They often weave their webs near lights where there are higher chances for insects to approach flying.
  • It is one of the rare species that would play dead when threatened or in danger.
  • These spiders remove their web each day at dawn and reconstruct a new one each night.

In conclusion, the Australian Garden Orb Weavers are an important part of the ecosystem, and while they can bite if provoked, their venom is not dangerous to humans.