Greetings fellow Foxies,
Last month I noticed a strange little spider in an orb (“typical” vertical circular) web that had a long lumpy abdomen containing 2 lobes.
Genus Cyclosa of the orb weaving Areneidae family is also called the Garbage Line Spider because they have radial lines of thickened silk that contains the remains of their prey with the spider hidden in the line in the centre of the web. Perhaps the spider’s lumpy shape helps it to look like the other detritus. Another name is conical spider.
As an aside, I have an aversion to the original Aussie word rubbish being replaced by Yankee garbage but the internet is subverting our language. I just hope that the next generation won’t be toting assault rifles to protect them from themselves!
You can see the shed exoskeleton that was left from a recent moult
Last month I noticed a strange little spider in an orb (“typical” vertical circular) web that had a long lumpy abdomen containing 2 lobes.
Genus Cyclosa of the orb weaving Areneidae family is also called the Garbage Line Spider because they have radial lines of thickened silk that contains the remains of their prey with the spider hidden in the line in the centre of the web. Perhaps the spider’s lumpy shape helps it to look like the other detritus. Another name is conical spider.
As an aside, I have an aversion to the original Aussie word rubbish being replaced by Yankee garbage but the internet is subverting our language. I just hope that the next generation won’t be toting assault rifles to protect them from themselves!
You can see the shed exoskeleton that was left from a recent moult
 Female hiding in web centre |  Horned abdomen with 2 lobes |  Different coloured specimen |