Leucage dromedaria
This is an unusual orb web spider who builds its web
horizontally, near the ground.
If seen running, it is a silver streak, very obvious against
the foliage, but hard to catch.
It hangs upside down in its web.
From above, the dark tummy is hard to see and birds are less likely to find it.
The bright back is lost against the sky, when seen from below.
Humans need a mirror to check this out, but an insect flying up from the ground blunders
into the web.
The horizontal orbweb spider is also found in Australia, and
probably reached New Zealand from there.
This one cunningly built the web vertically, in a glass
house, beside the window, where the camouflage also works.
Insects do not fly through window glass, but I guess they smash into windows and this
spider is kindly going to stop them hurting their noses.
In return, they will be eaten. |
Poecilopachys australasiae
This beautiful, jewel-like spider is found in gardens,
often on citrus trees (in this case a mandarin).
It arrived in Auckland, New Zealand from Australia in the
1970's and is now spreading over the rest of the country.
The two-spined spider builds an orb web at night, but eats
it by sun-rise.
It sits quietly through the day, not always under a leaf.
This seems dangerous, as birds can probably see this glowing beauty as easily as humans
can.
However, it is called a "bird dropping spider" and
birds presumably avoid it for fear of pecking at a mistake. |