Ordgarius magnificus, the Magnificent spider, is a bolas spider in the family Araneidae. It is endemic

Endemic (ecology)

Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...

 to forests along the Australian east coast.

Description

Females are up to 14mm long and almost as wide; males reach only 2mm. Females are creamy-white with a pattern of pink and yellow spots on the abdomen, and a crown of white and reddish tubercles on the head.

Habits

They live in trees or tall shrubs, rarely less than 2m above the ground. The easiest way to find them is to search for clusters of large, brown egg-sacs suspended among foliage; the spider will be found nearby, at day sheltering in a retreat made from rolled leaves and silk.

Like all bolas spiders, the female attracts male moths with an airborne pheromone

Pheromone

A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual...

. Once a moth approaches, the spider senses it coming due to vibration sensitive hairs on its outstretched legs. It is then caught with a sticky globule that is flung at the prey.

The egg-sacs are up to 89 cm long; one spider produces up to nine sacs per season, each with several hundred eggs.

External links

• Description and pictures