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Orange-legged swift Spider - female (Nyssus coloripes) A fast moving attractive spider with black cephalothorax and abdomen, black and white banded hind legs and orange front legs. The body had white patterns along the sides, a median white line on the cephalothorax and broken white pattern along the midline of the abdomen.<br />
Its behaviour and erratic movements are a mimicry of the pompilid wasp (spider hunters) - the orange legs move up and down like the orange antennae of the wasps. <br />
This species is seen throughout mainland Australia and Tasmania. Australia,Geotagged,Nyssus coloripes,Spotted Ground Swift Spider,Spring,orange-legged swift spider Click/tap to enlarge Species introCountry intro

Orange-legged swift Spider - female (Nyssus coloripes)

A fast moving attractive spider with black cephalothorax and abdomen, black and white banded hind legs and orange front legs. The body had white patterns along the sides, a median white line on the cephalothorax and broken white pattern along the midline of the abdomen.
Its behaviour and erratic movements are a mimicry of the pompilid wasp (spider hunters) - the orange legs move up and down like the orange antennae of the wasps.
This species is seen throughout mainland Australia and Tasmania.

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Nyssus coloripes is one of the fastest spiders in Australia. While running, it waves its two (often orange) forelegs above its body, mimicking the antennae of a wasp.

Similar species: Spiders
Species identified by Mark Ridgway
View Leuba Ridgway's profile

By Leuba Ridgway

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Uploaded Mar 19, 2016. Captured Nov 18, 2015 13:53 in 16 Albert St, Upper Ferntree Gully VIC 3156, Australia.
  • SZ-10
  • f/3.7
  • 10/500s
  • ISO200
  • 10.99mm