Phonognatha graeffei

Size: Male body size 5 to 6 mm, female body size 8 to 12 mm

Family: Araneidae (Orb-weavers)

Distribution: Woodlands and urban areas in the north-eastern, eastern and southern states of Australia.

Habitat: The spider is distinguished by having a curled leaf at the centre of its web, in which it shelters. The species form pairs living together in the same leaf, though at opposite ends of their shelter, even before mating at maturity. The female creates a separate curled leaf "nursery" hung in foliage nearby.

References: Wikipedia.

About the Leaf-Curling Spider

Although living together inside the one leaf sounds unusually romantic for spiders, females may cannibalise cohabiting males, independently of whether the female has had food.

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. Higher Resolution 2200 x 1624.

Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney.

Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney. Higher Resolution 2592 x 1836.

Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney. Higher Resolution 2534 x 2429.

Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney. Higher Resolution 2336 x 3504.

Photo by Mjoyce. Phonognatha graeffei - Leaf curling spider.

See Also

Australian Mammals
Australian Birds
Australian Reptiles
Australian Frogs
Australian Fish
Australian Wild Plant Foods

Return to Australian Spiders