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Project Noah Nature School
Isopeda sp.
May be Isopeda montana or Isopeda queenslandensis or another unknown. 40mm, pale area around eyes and patterned unusually on the carapace. According to "Revision of the Genus Isopeda Koch (Heteropodidae : Araneae) in Australia" I. vasta is not known in the area. David Hirst now identifies Isopeda vasta and I. montana groups of species and this appears to be one such
Rarely seen apart from late in the night when settling down to a day hiding in this potted Bromeliad.
This position among the Bromeliads was undisturbed by human hands for several years and there is photographic proof that it was occupied between 2005 and 2007 by the same spider. In 2008 the lawn contractors took a dislike to people who do backyard research and began to sabotage the various habitats. This species also began to become locally extinct due to local suburban gentrification so that position was no longer occupied
Spotted on Dec 23, 2005
Submitted on Dec 10, 2012
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identification and description changed