FAMILY DICTYNIDAE

Black House Spider - Ixeuticus robustus
This species has Australia-wide distribution and is commonly found around homes.  A bite from this spider can be considered dangerous.  Symptoms include: severe swelling, localised pain, profuse sweating, shivering and weakness, followed by semi-consciousness. 

description
Body length: male up to 12mm, female up to 18mm.   
Colour: as illustrated
Identification: by huge black carapace and the web.
Egg Sac: plano-convex of very white silk placed in the back of the web
Food: a wide variety of insects though moths and flies seem to be preferred
Dimorphism: male resembles female though somewhat smaller
 

Ixeuticus robustus (female)

Web of Ixeuticus robustus
 

No common name - Ixeuticus martius
Like the previous spider, this species is a cribellate spider and freshly spun web has a bluish appearance, a characteristic feature of the cribellates.  This species is smaller the I. robustus, lighter in colour and its web is usually found in trees and shrubs.

description
Body length: male up to 14mm, female up to 23mm.   
Colour: a distinct pattern of chevrons is present on the posterior dorsal surface of the abdomen
Identification: by photo
Egg Sac: rounded on both sides, of white silk about 10mm in diameter suspended at back of web
Food: a wide variety of insects including bees
Dimorphism: male similar to but smaller than female
 

Ixeuticus martius (female)
 

No common name - Ixeuticus candidus
This species is found right across the continent and Tasmania.  The web is usually found in thick bushes, with a small thimble-like retreat of dense woven white silk.  This retreat also acts as a nursery for the egg-sac is built within it.  The web of this species is often littered with leaves and debris and in many cased there is a communal web with many families living in a tangle of web, leaves and debris.  Although this species is a cribellate spider, very little zigzag is evident in most webs.

description
Body length: male up to 7mm, female up to 9mm.   
Colour: as in photograph
Identification: by photograph
Egg Sac: of very fine white silk built on the site of the retreat
Food: small flying insects
Dimorphism: male of lighter build and slightly small than the female
Web Snare ants and small insects
 

Menneus unifasciata (female)