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Spiders - Open Range Hunters
Giant Water Spider (Megadolomedes australianus)
Wandering through creeks and streams is the best
way to find this large spider. It is often seen sitting on rocks
in the middle of the stream, waiting to grab small passing fish
from the water below. Its legs are very spindly and long, giving
the spider an overall size greater than the palm of the average
person's hand. The Water spider has a mottled appearance which allows
it to blend in well with the granite based rocks of the area. The
female weaves a very large egg sac (about 25 mm/1 inch in diameter)
which is carried in the fangs by the female until almost ready to hatch. She then builds a framework for the sac in the bush and guards it by sitting on it - hence the spider's other common
name of Nursery Spider.
Green Jumping Spider(Mopsus mormon)
 There
are over 300 species of jumping spiders in Australia and all of them
are small - the biggest is only 18mm (just over ½ inch).
The tropical species can be quite colourful. Such is the case for
the Mopsus mormon (pictured) whose common name reflects the strong resemblance of the male face to that of some monkeys.
The Green Jumping Spider is sexually dimorphic - in
other words, the males look different to the females. Males have
a teardrop shaped lime green abdomen but they are dark brown or
black in the front part of the body and legs. Their head is crowned
with tufted white hairs, giving their face a monkey-like appearance.
The females are also green but over the whole body. The legs are
paler green and the face is a mottled pattern of white and brown.
Jumping spiders feed with deadly accuracy, eyeing their prey and
then jumping on it to subdue it. They are harmless spiders, but bites are often recorded. They can
be found in backyard gardens from Brisbane to Cooktown where they provide a useful service
while being attractive to look at!
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