White Porch Spider

This is the tiny (6 mm) White Porch Spider (Cryptachaea gigantipes). Another common name for it is the Long-legged House spider. It belongs to the Theridiidae family along with it's more famous relatives, the Australian Redback and the American Black Widow. There are only two records of bites from this spider which is said to cause pain, swelling, redness and muscle ache. The species is found from Southern Queensland to Tasmania. The two shots below were both taken at my home.

_{( All photos, videos, and text on this blog are by @mostly.nature )}

Being a small spider does not mean it has a small appetite. Here is an older shot where it is wrapping up an earwig that it has just killed.

References:

• Atlas of Living Australia website at http://bie.ala.org.au/species/Cryptachaea+gigantipes Accessed 15 December 2017

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