Spotted Ground Swift Spider

Appearance

Male and females are identical and their length varies between 5 and 7 mm. The front legs can be orange, the rest of the body is usually black with white markings. Colour variations, including gold or yellow spots, depend on location and habitat.

Naming

Synonyms:
Supunna picta

Common names:
Wasp-mimicking Swift Spider, Spotted Ground Swift Spider, Fleet Footed Spider, Painted Swift Spider

Distribution

All states of Australia including Tasmania, New Zealand (introduced)

Status

Not at risk

Behavior

The behaviour is clearly mimicry of some pompilid wasp (e.g., Auplopus, Priocnemis) which has orange front legs and black back legs. The sudden movement with trembling front legs, stopping and restarting in erratic directions across the ground, are the same kinds of actions noted by spider wasps (Pompilidae) hunting spiders to provision their nest (Raven, 2015)

Habitat

A few strands of silk behind bark, or other objects, may be a sign of its retreat. It sometimes enters houses where it can be seen in sunny places, running swiftly in bursts up walls and windows.

Food

This spider feeds on ground dwelling insects and spiders.