Editing Australian garden orb weaver spider

{{Short description|Species of spider}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Australian garden orb weaver spider
| image = Garden orb weaver05.jpg
| genus = Hortophora
| species = transmarina
| authority = ([[Eugen von Keyserling|Keyserling]], 1865)
| synonyms = <small>
''Epeira transmarina''<br />
''Epeira viridis''<br />
''Epeira producta''<br />
''Epeira thyridota''<br />
''Epeira capitalis''<br />
''Araneus productus''<br />
''Aranea producta''<br />
''Araneus capitalis''<br />
''Araneus transmarinus''<br />
''Eriophora transmarina''<br />
</small>
}}

The '''Australian garden orb weaver spider''' ('''''Hortophora transmarina''''') is a very common species of [[spider]] with many variants in size, shape, and colour across the coastal and northern regions of [[Australia]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Herberstein |first=M. E. |last2=Elgar |first2=M. A. |date=December 1994 |title=Foraging strategies of Eriophora transmarina and Nephila plumipes (Araneae: Araneoidea): Nocturnal and diurnal orb-weaving spiders |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-9993.1994.tb00511.x |journal=Austral Ecology |language=en |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=451–457 |doi=10.1111/j.1442-9993.1994.tb00511.x |issn=1442-9985|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Framenau |first=Volker W. |last2=Baptista |first2=Renner L. C. |last3=Oliveira |first3=Francisca Sâmia M. |last4=Castanheira |first4=Pedro de S. |date=2021-02-11 |title=Taxonomic revision of the new spider genus Hortophora, the Australasian Garden Orb-weavers (Araneae, Araneidae) |url=https://evolsyst.pensoft.net/article/72474/ |journal=Evolutionary Systematics |language=en |volume=5 |pages=275–334 |doi=10.3897/evolsyst.5.72474 |issn=2535-0730|doi-access=free }}</ref> They have very large [[abdomen]]s when well-fed and exhibit a tremendous colour-range from off-white through tan, brown to almost black. They have a roughly leaf-shaped pattern on the top of their abdomen with a complex outline that is darker than the surrounding area. There may also be several whitish spots or one or more stripes. The spiders' [[cephalothorax]]es (heads) and [[Anatomical terms of location#Proximal and distal|proximal]] (closer to the body) leg segments are usually darker, mostly reddish or reddish brown. They are able to change their colour with each [[moulting|moult]] to better match the background upon which they rest during the day.

The spiders are notable for the often large and intricate webs which they weave at night. They are usually [[nocturnal]] feeders, resting head down in their webs waiting to catch flying [[insect]]s. They make their sticky rounded orb webs near lights and between trees where insects are likely to fly. During the day the spider will often rest somewhere near the web, usually under a leaf or twig, or in a crevice in bark or rock. They are commonly found around human habitation so may be found resting under leaves and in similar places. When disturbed they will retreat towards this rest area, although under imminent danger the spider will drop to the ground and "play dead". Occasionally individual spiders will remain on the web during the day, possibly when prey has not been caught for a while, but this makes them more vulnerable to predation by birds.

Their bite is not dangerous to humans but may induce mild, local pain, redness, and occasionally swelling for a period of 30 minutes up to three to four hours.

The female is larger than the male, having a body length of 20 – 25&nbsp;mm compared with 15 – 17&nbsp;mm for the males. Females may also be distinguished by a needle-like [[Epigynum (spider)|epigynum]] protruding in the direction of the [[spinneret (spider)|spinnerets]].

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Garden Orb-weaver spider. Cooktown, Australia.jpg|Garden Orb-weaver spider. Cooktown, Australia
File:Eriophora transmarina front.jpg|Facial detail
File:Eriophora transmarina.jpg|Dorsal and web detail
File:Orb weaver black bckgrnd03 crop.jpg|Ventral side
File:Male Eriophora Transmarina.JPG|Male
File:Australian garden orb weaver spider nest.jpg|Camouflaged and sleeping in its nest
File:Eriophora transmarina in web at night.jpg|In web at night
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons}}
*[http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/australian/Spidaus.html Spiders of Australia]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041211153405/http://www.usq.edu.au/spider/find/spiders/105.htm Garden Orb Weaver]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050206135730/http://www.rochedalss.eq.edu.au/orbweaver.htm Orb Weavers/Garden Spiders]
*[https://wsc.nmbe.ch/species/3871 World Spider Catalog - Hortophora transmarina]
<!-- Broken Link *[http://www.geocities.com/brisbane_weavers/Garden_sp.htm Structure of an Orb Weaver's web] -->
*[http://spiders.zacharoo.com Australian Spider Photos]

{{Taxonbar|from1=Q110633668|from2=Q1645216}}

[[Category:Araneidae]]
[[Category:Spiders of Australia]]

{{Araneidae-stub}}