Identifying Common Australian Spider Webs

While spiders can often be identified by their physical traits, their webs provide valuable clues for accurate identification. Each species has its own web-building technique, depending on the type of prey they target. Observing the shape, size, and location of a web can help you determine which spider you're dealing with.

Here’s a guide to identifying some common Australian spiders based on their webs – but remember, not all spiders spin webs!

There are four main web types used to identify spiders: orb, funnel, tangle and sheet.

Orb Web

Perhaps the most recognisable spider web, orb webs have a circular, wheel-shaped design with radial spokes extending from the centre to the outer edges of the web. These webs are often suspended between trees in gardens and bushland, providing a large but nearly invisible capture area – except when they’re glistening with morning dew.

Common orb web spiders

• Araneidae family – These ‘Orb-weaver spiders’ create webs to capture flying insects. Many nocturnal orb weavers, like those in the Eriophora genus destroy and recycle (eat) their webs at dawn and rebuild them again each night.
• Nephila genus – Including the Golden Orb Weaving Spider

Funnel Web

Funnel webs resemble a cave, with a wide opening that narrows into a central tunnel leading to the spider’s burrow where they hide and wait for prey. These tunnels may extend into the ground, as seen with funnel-web spiders, or lead to a higher hiding spot, as often seen with Redback Spiders (Latrodectus hasselti). Low-lying funnel webs are often found in grassy areas or beneath rocks, while elevated funnel webs may be hidden under furniture, in roof corners or behind bins. Many funnel webs are built with two openings, allowing the spider to make a quick escape if threatened.

Common funnel web spiders:

• Agelenidae family
• Atracidae family – Commonly known as Australian funnel-web spiders. Some, like the Sydney Funnel-Web Spider, are venomous

Tangle Webs (Cobwebs)

Tangle webs, often called cobwebs, have no distinct pattern and appear as a messy, cotton-like mesh of thin silk. Despite their chaotic look, they are still effective for catching prey. These webs are commonly found in undisturbed spaces around the home including ceiling corners, attics, basements and under furniture.

Common tangle web spiders:

• Theridiidae family – Including the venomous black widow spiders from the Latrodectus genus
• Pholcidae family – Including Daddy-Long-Legs species

Sheet Web

These delicate and dense webs look like horizontal white sheets laying on top of grass or hanging between trees and bushes. Some sheet webs can resemble a bowl, with the middle dipping down. Spiders hide under the sheet web, waiting for insects to fly or land on it.

Common sheet web spiders:

• Linyphiidae family – These very small spiders are commonly referred to as sheet weavers or money spiders and are also known for ‘ballooning’, a process where they use silk threads to drift through the air

Correctly identifying spider species is crucial for effective pest control. Not sure what you’re up against? Reach out to the experts at your local Globe branch for guidance on spider identification and the best treatment solutions.