Brush-footed trapdoor spiders Barychelidae

Pictured – Idiommata sp.

Spiders in this large family are extremely cryptic: they construct a short and webbed sock-like burrow capped with a perfectly camouflaged trapdoor lid. Hairs on their feet pads help them climb smooth, vertical surfaces. One member of this family constructs a water-tight burrow in the intertidal zones of mangroves.

Wishbone spiders Nemesiidae

Aname sp.

Found throughout Australia, this is an extremely diverse family of spiders, particularly
in Western Australia and Queensland. The name wishbone comes from the burrows they create that are an inclined Y or fork shape. These have two entrances, one of which is more concealed and used as an escape route from predators.

Curtain-web spiders Dipluridae

Cethegus sp.

This family includes some of the smallest mygalomorphs. They are swift little spiders that build extremely dense and extravagant webs between cracks on soil banks and beneath debris. They
have distinctly long spinnerets and eat a diet of mainly snails that become trapped in their dense webs.

Mouse spiders Actinopodidae

Missulena bradleyi

Occurring right around mainland Australia, these stocky spiders are another group with extremely toxic venom. Females are usually a uniform glossy black, while males of some species have a bright red cephalothorax and blue-purple abdomen. Males wander by
day and the bright colours are thought to deter predators.

Rainforest tarantulas Theraphosidae

Phlogius sp.

Australia’s largest spiders, these giants are also called whistling spiders due to the sound they produce when provoked. They live in forests along coastal northern Australia, where they build extensive burrows up to 2m long. These spiders are often illegally collected for the pet trade, putting pressure on wild populations.

True trapdoor spiders Idiopidae

Euoplos sp.

The stocky females live mostly tucked away in their burrows. Males are much slighter and more colourful – hardly recognisable as being from the same species. They also have a C-shaped spine on their front legs to keep them safe when mating by locking away the female’s fangs. They are common in east coast gardens.

Desert tarantulas Theraphosidae

Selenotypus sp.

Compared with their rainforest counterparts, these slow-growing and stocky tarantulas inhabit drier habitats, such as open forests and desert areas. Usually light brown in colour, they show small differences between species. Some have impressive hairy back legs, while one undescribed species emits a sound like an American rattlesnake.

Funnel-web spiders Hexathelidae

Atrax sutherlandi

Several members of this, Australia’s most infamous spider group, have venom known to be deadly to humans. Funnel-web spiders are commonly found in damp, cooler gullies, where they construct burrows with silk trip-lines to help detect prey. Some species also live and construct their webs up high in trees.