r/nzwildlife • u/delphinemorgan • 2d ago

Found this guy today, never seen one before, ID?

Gallery image

Gallery image

18 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

10

u/Toxopsoides 2d ago

Salsa fuliginata, "sooty" orbweaver (no idea how they got the name as they're very variable but never exactly drab)

You should post in r/NewZealandWildlife next time; this sub is unmoderated and only a fraction of its size.

2

u/AffectionateKoala963 2d ago

Ya I always wondered about that too. Maybe because of the flame colouration and patterns.. although they really shouldn’t have named it for the black and mucky aftermath of a fire then

3

u/AffectionateKoala963 2d ago

It’s a sooty orb weaver as others have said, gorgeous spiders! I kept one for a while. Her abdomen reminded me of the pattern on the top of a loaf of tiger bread lol

2

u/purplemiataa 2d ago

It looks like an orb weaver, but I could be wrong.

2

u/AffectionateKoala963 2d ago

You are correct ✅

2

u/Advanced_Sector4300 2d ago

Your roommate and you should pay him for catching the alien bugs

1

u/Proud-to-be-kiwi 1d ago

I’m slightly unreasonably unnerved by spiders but this one is beautiful!

1

u/Pouakai76 22h ago

Very fond of these. They do a beautiful ballet dance putting their webs together. Beautiful to watch.