The St. Andrews Cross, a non-aggressive spider endemic to Australia, gets its name from the particular cross pattern observed in their web. The pattern is similar to the cross on which St. Andrews was crucified.
Size: Females are 0.39-0.62 in (1-1.6 cm) and males are 0.11-0.15 in (0.3-0.4 cm).
Color: Females’ carapaces are yellow and gray with black and red bands, while the upper part of the having two yellow horizontal stripes. Males differ in coloration of the body as they are a combination of cream and brown with the same longitudinal stripes.
Other Characteristic Features: The spiders’ legs are paired when they sit.
Post mating, the female spider lays 400-1,000 eggs in a sac and places it (the sac) on the web. Hatching occurs in autumn.
Spiderlings overwinter in the sac and come out in the following spring.
Female spiders build orb webs, sizing 1.4-1.9 in, and the highlighting point is the X-shaped motif in the middle, made with two
The web attracts the prey as the UV rays reflect in the silk threads and makes the web bright and conspicuous against its background.
The bite of this spider is not toxic or harmful to humans.
Quick Facts
| Also Known as | Crucifix spider |
| Distribution | Northern Queensland to central regions of New South Wales |
| Habitat | Open forests, shrubby vegetations, rainforests, and houses |
| Web Type | Orb-web |
| Diet | Beetles, butterflies, moths and flies |
| Lifespan | 1 year |
| Predators | Birds and praying mantises |
| IUCN Conservation Status | Not listed |
The St. Andrews Cross, a non-aggressive spider endemic to Australia, gets its name from the particular cross pattern observed in their web. The pattern is similar to the cross on which St. Andrews was crucified.
Size: Females are 0.39-0.62 in (1-1.6 cm) and males are 0.11-0.15 in (0.3-0.4 cm).
Color: Females’ carapaces are yellow and gray with black and red bands, while the upper part of the having two yellow horizontal stripes. Males differ in coloration of the body as they are a combination of cream and brown with the same longitudinal stripes.
Other Characteristic Features: The spiders’ legs are paired when they sit.
Post mating, the female spider lays 400-1,000 eggs in a sac and places it (the sac) on the web. Hatching occurs in autumn.
Spiderlings overwinter in the sac and come out in the following spring.
Female spiders build orb webs, sizing 1.4-1.9 in, and the highlighting point is the X-shaped motif in the middle, made with two
The web attracts the prey as the UV rays reflect in the silk threads and makes the web bright and conspicuous against its background.
The bite of this spider is not toxic or harmful to humans.
Quick Facts
| Also Known as | Crucifix spider |
| Distribution | Northern Queensland to central regions of New South Wales |
| Habitat | Open forests, shrubby vegetations, rainforests, and houses |
| Web Type | Orb-web |
| Diet | Beetles, butterflies, moths and flies |
| Lifespan | 1 year |
| Predators | Birds and praying mantises |
| IUCN Conservation Status | Not listed |
