Comb-footed platform spider

Fact Box Species: Parasteatoda decorata (Platnick) (or a similar species, but P. decorata is the only Parasteatoda recorded for Queensland apart from P. tepidariorum: see notes below) Previous species name: Achaearanea decorata Family: Theridiidae Body length: female: 7 mm male: about 3 mm Habitat: In a dry leaf suspended in a tangled web, usually suspended in a fork of a tree trunk Toxicity: Both sexes of this species may be too small to cause more than mild illness in humans but they should still be handled with caution

Another view From above Oblique view With egg sac Another view From above Oblique view The male

The spider presented on this page was initially labelled Parasteatoda mundula, based on the photo of this species published by the (Australian Museum. However, in Platnick's (World Spider Catalog) P. mundula is not listed as being present in Australia and P. decorata seems to be a species with a very similar appearance.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: Latrodectus hasselti.