Bug Identifier
Bird Dropping Spider
Community identification

Bird Dropping Spider

Celaenia excavata

Order & Family
Araneae: Araneidae
Size
Females up to 12 mm; males much smaller at around 2.5 mm
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Gardens, orchards, and woodland areas across Australia

Diet & Feeding

Exclusively male moths, which they lure using a chemical mimic of female moth pheromones

Behavior Patterns

Night hunters that remain motionless during the day, relying on their resemblance to bird droppings to avoid predators; they sit on life-like silk platforms

Risks & Benefits

Non-aggressive and not considered dangerous to humans; they benefit ecosystems by controlling moth populations