Arachnura higginsi

--------------

Hi Stephen,

Your spider is a Scorpion Tailed Spider, Arachnura higginsi. Here are
some links; http://www.usq.edu.au/spider/find/spiders/101.htm
http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_weavers/ScorpionTailedSpider.htm
http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/Spiders/detail.aspx?id=14

Regards,

Graham Milledge.


-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Britton
Sent: Monday, 23 April 2007 8:23 AM
To: Stephen Clark
Cc: Graham Milledge
Subject: FW: An unusual spider

Thanks Stephen,

I must remember to send Andy some pictures of some genes so he can
identify them for me! I've passed on the spider pics to Graham Milledge
here.

cheers,

Dave.

Dr. David Britton
Entomology Collection Manager
Australian Museum
6 College St Sydney NSW Australia 2010
Ph. 61-2-93206221 Fax. 61-2-93206011
Mob: 0414648008

Visit the Australian Museum Insect Webpage:
http://www.amonline.net.au/insects/index.cfm

> -----Original Message-----
> From: steve clark [mailto:unique_stephen@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Sunday, 22 April 2007 10:57 AM
> To: Dave Britton
> Subject: An unusual spider
>
>
> David,
>
> Thanks for identifying the moth. It was Andrew Holmes, the geneticist
> formally at Macquarie University and currently my neighbour who dobbed
you
> in as being potentially helpful in identifying it.
>
> The next critter that has us both fascinated is a small spider with an
> unusual camouflage. It has an elongated abdomen with spinnerets at the
end
> of a 'tail' and hides in plain site in the middle of its web at the
end of
> a
> long fat mass of silk that it has constructed and into which it blends
> itself both in colour and shape. Overall it looks like a stick or a
bit of
> leaf. It is a daytime spider. It is about 2 cm long.
>
> I would have to say that this strategy is very successful as it has
> outlived
> several Eriophora, Nephila, leaf curling and St Andrews Cross spiders
that
> have been taken by wasps and birds from the same garden and has
maintained
> its web in the same place for a few months.
>
> I have some photos here.
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/askclark/457211672/
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/askclark/457227559/
>
> I would be glad to here your thoughts or those of a colleague on what
it
> may
> be.
>
> Regards,
>
> Steve
>
> =======================
> email: unique_stephen@hotmail.com
> blog: emunctory.blogspot.com
> =======================
>