Hi
I have had this thing on my plum tree for a few months i thought is was bird poo at first but it isn't it has big eggs(i think) under it and has been laying one by one over the months, ive never seen it move, it has no web to catch food just web holding the eggs? it sits with its legs all tucked up? very weird??
Kaz
That is a female Bird-dropping Spider (Celaenia excavata), guarding her egg sacks.
A good picture to add to our BugFiles page: http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/2367/
Ken
What an interesting spider.
Wow thanks
The Bird poo spider stays motionless on its web during the day, only hunting for prey at night. It hangs down from a single silk thread and releases a pheromone which mimics the sex smells released by female moths. When a moth comes near the spider will capture it with their powerful front legs. They can be found in Australia, mainly along the eastern and southern coasts.
