''Cryptachaea gigantipes'', known vernacularly as the white porch spider, is a species of

cobweb spider Theridiidae, also known as the tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders and comb-footed spiders, is a large family of araneomorph spiders first described by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. This diverse, globally distributed family includes over 3,000 spec ...

in the family

Theridiidae Theridiidae, also known as the tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders and comb-footed spiders, is a large family of Araneomorphae, araneomorph spiders first described by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. This diverse, globally distributed family includes ...

. It is native to south-eastern Australia and is an introduced species in New Zealand.

Taxonomy

The species was first described by

Eugen von Keyserling Eugen von Keyserling (22 March 1833 in Pockroy, Lithuania – 4 April 1889 in Dzierżoniów, Silesia) was a Baltic-German arachnologist. He studied in the University of Tartu. He was the author of ''Die Spinnen Amerikas'', and completed ''Die Ara ...

in 1890, in his German language text ''Die Arachniden Australiens, nach der Natur beschrieben und abgebildet''. The species is most closely related to ''

Cryptachaea veruculata ''Cryptachaea veruculata'' is a spider native to Australia and New Zealand. It has been introduced into England and Belgium.Platnick 2009Yeates & Williams 2006 The species has potential to control spider mites and leafroller caterpillars in New Z ...

'', and more distantly related to ''

Cryptachaea blattea ''Cryptachaea blattea'' is a species of cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Africa, and has been introduced into the United States, Chile, the Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( ...

''.

Description

The species ranges from amber to creamy white in colour, typically with dark-coloured spots. The species measures 6.1mm in total length.

Distribution and habitat

The species is found in eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. Common in south-eastern Australia, the species was first documented in New Zealand in the year 2000, but may have been present in the country since the 1980s. The species is typically found in rocky areas or caves, or in sheltered eaves or porches of human habitats.

Gallery

Cryptachaea gigantipes 232492382.jpg, Close-up of the face of ''Cryptachaea gigantipes'' Cryptachaea gigantipes 241531765.jpg, ''Cryptachaea gigantipes'' and cobweb outside of a home in

Wentworth Falls, New South Wales Wentworth Falls ( postcode: 2782) is a town in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, situated approximately west of the Sydney central business district, and about east of Katoomba, Australia on the Great Western Highway, with a W ...

References

Theridiidae Spiders described in 1890 Spiders of Australia Spiders of New Zealand {{theridiidae-stub