There are a couple of common and interesting lace web spiders in Narrogin. The name comes from the lacy nature of their very sticky webs.
The Black House Spider Badumna insignis has a funnel-type web in every home and on many cars (I have one in both of my external rear vision mirrors). In the bush they are more difficult to find. Lookin hollow logs and in holes and crevices.
The adult looks nasty but is really a wimp. They are very reclusive spiders, which are regularly eaten by birds and White-tailed Spiders.
The one on the left is about to feast on a donated cockroach, but only after I hid from it.
In contrast, the Foliage webbing Spider (Foliage Web Spider, Social Webbing spider) Phryganoporus candidus is inconspicuous, but builds an amazing communal web in summer to rear her young.
In late summer a young female establishes the web, which is enlarged by her and her spiderlings that may number in the hundreds. The web contains a central living area of interconnecting tunnels surrounded by a communal catching web. It becomes a small city containing the spiders, their parasites, and other beasties that feed on the debris.
In late summer a young female establishes the web, which is enlarged by her and her spiderlings that may number in the hundreds. The web contains a central living area of interconnecting tunnels surrounded by a communal catching web. It becomes a small city containing the spiders, their parasites, and other beasties that feed on the debris.
 females in the communal web |  Early stage communal web |  Mature web with spiderlings |
Single retreat with fly being drawn into it for supper In late spring, sub-adult females leave the nest followed later by the males. These spiders then establish solitary webs, and will eat any intruders, with the temporary exception of males for mating.
Until this autumn, I wondered where these solitary webs were.
If you look closely on sheoak needles, you may see a miserable little web, which ends in a narrow conical retreat of silk and insect remains
It took me a long time to coax one out with tasty flies and moths. They are small (about 5mm) spiders, which are covered with white hairs to help them cope with hot dry weather.
Until this autumn, I wondered where these solitary webs were.
If you look closely on sheoak needles, you may see a miserable little web, which ends in a narrow conical retreat of silk and insect remains
It took me a long time to coax one out with tasty flies and moths. They are small (about 5mm) spiders, which are covered with white hairs to help them cope with hot dry weather.