



Austracantha minax
Common name: Australian Jewel Spider
Meaning of name:
Austracantha is derived from the Latin words auster, meaning south, and the Greek word ákantha, meaning thorn. Minax is a Latin word meaning jutting out or projecting.
Distribution:
Recorded from all states and territories of Australia.
Description:
Females have a body length of approximately 8 millimetres, males about 5 millimetres.
Notes:
We have seen these spiders from October to January and, once, in June (it was the warmest June on record).
References:
Atlas of Living Australia https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/3a343e36-aaaf-44c7-aacc-1c509b3a4c32
Arachne.org.au http://www.arachne.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=1869