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).