Euryopis species
Ant-Eating Comb-Footed Spider (Euryopis) ID
A small Australian comb-footed spider associated with ants. Some Euryopis use silk directly during an attack instead of relying on a permanent prey-catching web.
Usually low riskEuryopis is an accepted genus in the comb-footed spider family Theridiidae. Australian catalogues list several named species, so this page deliberately stops at genus level. The best field evidence combines a very small spider, a compact abdomen, ant-rich bark or ground habitat and observed silk-assisted hunting. The spectacular reverse-somersault attack documented for the Australian Euryopis umbilicata is excellent behavioural evidence for that species, but it must not be treated as proof that every Australian Euryopis hunts in exactly the same way.
Quick identification
- Very small spider with a compact body rather than an ant-shaped waist
- Found on bark, beneath loose bark, under stones or near ant activity
- May wait close to an ant trail and use silk directly during an attack
- Does not depend on a conspicuous orb or permanent tangle web to catch prey
What to check next
Take a sharp dorsal photograph, a side view, a scale reference and a habitat photograph from a safe distance. A short video of hunting behaviour can be more useful than colour. Keep the identification at Euryopis unless an adult specimen and diagnostic anatomical characters support a species name.
When to seek medical help
Euryopis is not listed among the Australian spiders of major medical importance. Avoid handling any unknown spider. Wash a suspected bite, apply a cold pack for pain and seek medical advice if symptoms are severe, persistent or unusual; call 000 for collapse, breathing difficulty or another medical emergency.
Where it is usually seen
Australian Euryopis records include bark and ground-level microhabitats where ants are active. The best-studied Australian species, Euryopis umbilicata, shelters beneath eucalypt bark by day and hunts on trunks around twilight.