Subject: Spider identification
Geographic location of the bug: Dawesville, western Australia.
Date: 01/19/2019
Time: 08:04 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi there can you please help me identify this Spider. It disappears during the day and on dusk creates a beautiful web everyday. The web is always built in the same place between our house and lemon tree. Its bright orange with no distinct pattern on the top of the abdomen.
Tonight was the first night I have noticed her hanging in a few lines of web but has not create d one. After looking around I have spotted another smaller orange Spider which I assume is a male. I have attached pictures of both
How you want your letter signed: Stephanie
Dear Stephanie,
This is a harmless Orbweaver in the family Araneidae. We believe it is a Garden Orbweaver, (Eriophora transmarina or Araneus transmarina) which is pictured on the Brisbane Insect site where it states: “Garden Orb Web Spiders are nocturnal spiders. They are large size spiders. The mature female spiders are about 50mm (leg to leg) in size. Males are a bit smaller, about 25mm leg to leg. The spiders are brown in colour with variety patterns on their flat abdomen. They build vertical orb web in garden and bushland. The spiders sit in the middle of the web and waiting for insects in night time. They build webs between trees or shrubs. The webs are usually one meter in diameter and about one or two meters above ground. The spider leaves a hole at the centre of the web. Garden Orb Web Spiders build webs after sunset and move into retreat during the day time. The retreat can be leaves or tree trunks near by. When they rest, their legs fold up tightly against its body. If their webs are not damaged, they may leave the webs for next night, or they keep the silk material by eating them all before sun rise. When they collect the web silks, usually they will leave the top silk, the bridge thread. (There are some advantages for the spiders to leave the bridge thread on site.”