Actinopodidae are easily recognised from other Mygalomorphae by the widely spaced eyes that cover almost the whole width of the distinctly raised cephalic region. Males of some species have bright red chelicerae and cephalic areas (less distinct in females) and iridescent blue abdomens.
Araneae (Spiders)
Spiders are one of the largest orders of the class Arachnida, which also includes the scorpions (Scorpiones), pseudo- or bookscorpions (pseudoscorpiones), havestmen (Opiliones), a variety of orders of mites and ticks (Acari).
Spiders can be recognised by a body consisting of two major parts, the cephalothorax (or prosoma) and the abdomen (or opisthosoma). They are the only group of animals with spinnerets at the back of their abdomen and in which males use modified, secondary organs, the pedipalps, to transfer sperm to the female. The morphology of the male pedipalps and the female copulatory organ, the epigyne, are crucial for identification, specifically at the species level.
There are approximately 4,000 species of spiders described from Australia, but this represents probably only about 25% of the total fauna. Framenau (2023) provides a checklist of all described species of Australia (download at the bottom of this page).
Raven and Beard (2022) provide an interactive key to the subfamilies of spiders in Australia.
Actinopodidae
1 species
Members of the family Anamidae differ from the Nemesiidae by the well-defined posterior heel on the maxillae, the absence of claw tufts and a serrula and both males and females with two rows of teeth on the paired claws.
Anamidae
5 species
Araneidae
21 species
Barychelidae
2 species
Males in the genera Cheiracanthium and Eutittha have a distinct spine-like extension at the base of the cymbium of the male pedipalp.
Cheiracanthiidae
3 species
Clubionidae
5 species
Corinnidae
4 species
Deinopidae
1 species
Desidae
3 species
Dictynidae
3 species
Filistatidae
1 species
Gnaphosidae
33 species
Halonoproctidae
2 species
Hersiliidae
2 species
Idiopidae
1 species
Lamponidae
12 species
Male linyphiids have an intersegmental paracymbium on the male pedipalp. Females lack the fourth tarsal comb of the similar Theridiidae and generally have much spinier legs.
Linyphiidae
5 species
Lycosidae
8 species
Pirate spiders can be diagnosed by the rows of spines on their long front legs; these rows consist of a long spine, followed by a series of progressively shorter ones.
Mimetidae
1 species
Miturgidae
14 species
Males with clasping spine on the metatarsus and/or the tibia of the first leg and females with characteristic dark dot on the proximal-ventral surface of the first femur.
Mysmenidae
1 species
Small; carapace is wider than long, with protruding frontal tip and eyes situated towards the centre away from the frontal margin; eyes in a tight group but anterior median and posterior lateral eyes fully developed, all others narrower and indistinct.
Oecobiidae
2 species
Goblin Spiders are very similar to the Six-eyed Ground Spiders (Orsolobidae) and some Australian genera were initially placed in the oonopids until the family Orsolobidae was established. Differences between both families are subtle and include a peculiar, raised morphology of a tarsal chemosensory organ in orsolobids.
Oonopidae
17 species
Oxyopidae
6 species
Philodromidae
1 species
Represented by only by a single genus in Australia, Prodidomus; elongate pale spiders with large, silvery posterior median and lateral eyes.
Prodidomidae
1 species
Jumping spiders are readily recognised by their enlarged anterior median eyes.
Salticidae
32 species
Scytodidae
2 species
Segestriidae
1 species
Selenopidae
1 species
Sparassidae
6 species
Theridiidae
20 species
Thomisidae
11 species
Spination on legs III–IV reduced, absence of scales, absence of epiandrous spigots, one major ampullate glands in females, median apophysis absent, and secondary spermatheca about as large as the primary ones.
Trachelidae
1 species
Trachycosmidae
4 species
Trochanteriidae
1 species
As their colloquial name suggests, Venomless Spiders do not have venom glands. Most build complete cribellate orb-webs.
Uloboridae
1 species
Zodariidae
14 species
Publications
Framenau VW (2024): Checklist of Australian Spiders. Version 1.52 (13 October 2024). Harry Butler Institute, 103 pp.,
Raven RJ, Beard JJ (2022): Key to the spiders subfamilies of Australia. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water & Australian Biological Resources Study, WEB
Araneae (Spiders)
- Actinopodidae
- Anamidae
- Araneidae
- Barychelidae
- Cheiracanthiidae
- Clubionidae
- Corinnidae
- Deinopidae
- Desidae
- Dictynidae
- Filistatidae
- Gnaphosidae
- Halonoproctidae
- Hersiliidae
- Idiopidae
- Lamponidae
- Linyphiidae
- Lycosidae
- Mimetidae
- Miturgidae
- Mysmenidae
- Oecobiidae
- Oonopidae
- Oxyopidae
- Philodromidae
- Prodidomidae
- Salticidae
- Scytodidae
- Segestriidae
- Selenopidae
- Sparassidae
- Theridiidae
- Thomisidae
- Trachelidae
- Trachycosmidae
- Trochanteriidae
- Uloboridae
- Zodariidae
All classes
- Arachnida
- Crustacea
- Insecta
- Orthoptera - Caelifera (Grasshoppers)
- Hymenoptera excl. Formicidae (bees and wasps)
- Blattodea s. str. (Cockroaches)
- Coleoptera (Beetles)
- Dermaptera (earwigs)
- Diptera (flies, mosquitos)
- Hemiptera - Heteroptera (True Bugs)
- Hemiptera - Sternorrhyncha (aphids, scales etc.)
- Hemiptera - Auchenorrhyncha (cicadas, planthoppers)
- Hymenoptera - Formicidae (Ants)
- Trichoptera (Caddisflies)
- Myriapoda