Spiders are amazing creatures that come in many shapes and sizes. They have evolved to have incredibly effective camouflage, hunting abilities, defensive abilities, and an overall ability to survive that rivals almost any other creature on Earth.

One fun example of spiders adapting unique traits is the Arkys walckenaeri, or more commonly called the Walckenaer’s studded triangular spider (not that this is a much better name). This spider was named after the French scientist Charles Athanase Walckenaer. Despite being named after a Frenchman, this spider is commonly found in Australia and is a part of the orb weaving family Arkyinae.

These spiders use the shape of their body to help hide them from predators, and keep them out of the sight of prey until they are ready to feast. While most commonly triangular in shape, they can also have leaf-shaped or heart-shaped abdomens. The male spider is a little smaller than the female, with the female measuring about 4-7 millimeters (.15-.2 inches) in length.

Another thing that makes this spider stand out is that while they are all in Australia, they have differences based on the region of the continent they live in. The spiders that live in the Queensland area, for example, has white sigilla and either a red or an orange triangle on them. Those in the West, South, and Tasmania regions are typically a pale yellow in color and their markings are more muted.

These spiders do produce silk, but they don’t use it to make webs to catch their prey. Instead, they capture their prey (which is mostly made up of small insects, invertebrates, and other small creatures) by hiding on the underside of a leaf. From there, they can either attack from above, or catch them by moving around to the top of the leaf where their prey may be eating. The silk that they produce is used to make their egg sacs, which are laid late in the summer. The egg sacs are orange or pinkish depending on the specific spider.

While these spiders are weird looking (though that is relative of course, especially when it comes to Australian spiders), they are not dangerous to humans. They could bite, but their bite would be harmless to a human.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about why we should be worried about the leak in the bottom of the ocean.