Celaenia belongs to the genus of orb-weaver spiders indigenous to Australia. At present, as per the April 2019 records, there are 11 species in this genus.
Size: The females of this genus have a size of about 0.47 to 0.51 inches (12 to 13 mm) and are bigger than the males, which have an approximate body length of 0.07 to 0.11 inches (2 to 3 mm).
Color: The color varies from one species to the other. The bird-dropping spider, the most well-known species of this genus, has a white, black, and gray body, similar to a bird’s dropping.
Other Characteristic Features: The spiders of this genus are likely to have a triangular-shaped abdomen and long forelegs.
The egg sacs are brown and marble-shaped with a single sac containing about 200 eggs.
The spiderlings mostly have a light-colored body, darkening with maturation.
Not much information is available about their web. However, in the bird-dropping spiders, only the young ones build circular webs.
Though their levels of toxicity remain undetermined, a bite from this species could lead to minor redness and pain.
| Distribution | Parts of Australia and New Zealand |
| Habitat | Forests, woodlands, and wetlands |
| Predators | Mostly birds |
| Diet | Insects particularly moth |
| Lifespan | Approximately 1 year |
Image Source: Live.staticflickr.com
Celaenia belongs to the genus of orb-weaver spiders indigenous to Australia. At present, as per the April 2019 records, there are 11 species in this genus.
Size: The females of this genus have a size of about 0.47 to 0.51 inches (12 to 13 mm) and are bigger than the males, which have an approximate body length of 0.07 to 0.11 inches (2 to 3 mm).
Color: The color varies from one species to the other. The bird-dropping spider, the most well-known species of this genus, has a white, black, and gray body, similar to a bird’s dropping.
Other Characteristic Features: The spiders of this genus are likely to have a triangular-shaped abdomen and long forelegs.
The egg sacs are brown and marble-shaped with a single sac containing about 200 eggs.
The spiderlings mostly have a light-colored body, darkening with maturation.
Not much information is available about their web. However, in the bird-dropping spiders, only the young ones build circular webs.
Though their levels of toxicity remain undetermined, a bite from this species could lead to minor redness and pain.
| Distribution | Parts of Australia and New Zealand |
| Habitat | Forests, woodlands, and wetlands |
| Predators | Mostly birds |
| Diet | Insects particularly moth |
| Lifespan | Approximately 1 year |
Image Source: Live.staticflickr.com
