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Leaf Curling Spider - Phonognatha graeffei
FAMILY TETRAGNATHIDAE
This page contains pictures and information about Leaf Curling Spiders that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Body length 12mm
- The Leaf Curling Spiders build vertical fan-shaped web, or half of a orb web.
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- They always build a retreat on the upper side of their web. Usually they build the retreat by a dry leaf. They stay inside their retreat, put their forelegs on their web and sense if any prey come into their web.
- They are easily found in open bushland in Brisbane, especially we can see many of them in late summer. The female spider build the egg-sac by curling dry leaf too. It usually hangs from a twig near the web. Male spider is a little smaller than the female. Sometimes we can find male and female living together in the same curled leaf, each occupying each end of the retreat.
- They seldom go outside their leaf retreat unless a prey fall on its web, or it has to repair or re-build its web. The spider usually re-build its web at night. When outside its retreat, the spider is in high alert. It will rush back even if there is a minor disturb. The spider has brown legs and brown thorax. Its abdomen is white in colour with dark patterns.
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- Although most of the Leaf Curling Spiders build their retreat with dry leaf, sometime we find them build retreat with fresh green leaf.
