The Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney

Spiders 8

There is believed to be at least 50,000 species of spiders worldwide. Wow, that’s a lot of spiders!

Red back Spider

Spiders are invertebrates that have eight legs. They are not insects: they belong to a group of invertebrates called arachnids.

Insects have six legs and arachnids have, you guessed it, eight legs! Some spiders make webs which can be lots of different shapes. These act as their home and help them catch their prey.  

Did you know the Australian Huntsman is the longest spider in the world – with a leg span of up to 30cm!

Have a look at a few of the Australian species in the image gallery.

  • Scorpion-tailed spider
    Scorpion-tailed Spider: Arachnura higginsi
  • St Andrew's Cross Spider
    St Andrew's Cross Spider: Argiope keyserlingi
  • Spiny Spider
    Spiny Spider: Austracantha minax
  • Orb-weaving Spider: Eriophora sp.
    Orb-weaving Spider: Eriophora sp.
  • Spotted Ground Swift Spider
    Spotted Ground Swift Spider: Supunna picta
  • Wolf Spider
    Wolf Spider: Lycosa sp. 1
  • Wolf Spider
    Wolf Spider: Lycosa sp. 2
  • Wolf Spider
    Wolf Spider: Lycosa sp. 3
  • Jumping Spider
    Jumping Spider: Sandalodes scopifer
  • Flat Huntsman Spider
    Flat Huntsman Spider: Delena canceroides
  • Long-jawed Orb Weaver Spider
    Long-jawed Orb Weaver Spider: Leucauge granulata
  • Golden Orb Weaver
    Golden Orb Weaver: Nephila sp.
  • Red-backed Spider
    Red-backed Spider: Latrodectus hasselti
  • Crab Spider
    Crab Spider: Diaea evanida
  • Leaf-curling Spider
    Leaf-curling Spider: A Leaf-Curling Spider with dragonfly prey. Image by Marie Robertson

Activites

  1. Get creative

    ARACHNID – write an 8 line acrostic poem using these letters.

  2. Explore

    Look at all the images of spiders in the gallery. Choose one spider and search the internet to find out 8 things about it. If you really love spiders you might like to visit this website and/or download the app.

  3. Match the webs

    Study the illustrations of spider webs above. See if you can match them to a photo.

  4. Parts of a spider

    Huntsman spiders are very common in Australia. What type of web do they make? (Hint: this is a trick question). Use this drawing of a hunstman to label its parts.

  5. Visit the school/ backyard garden.

    Collect 8 sticks, 8 stones/rocks, 8 leaves and 8 pieces of bark from the ground. Use your objects to make a spider web on the ground. Include a spider – remember they have 8 legs and 2 body parts. Take a photo and share with your friends.

Five types of spider webs

  • Tabular Web
    Tabular Web
  • Tangle Cob Web
    Tangle Cob Web
  • Sheet Web
    Sheet Web
  • Orb Web
    Orb Web
  • Funnel Web
    Funnel Web
Content Credits

Match the spider web game