Tasmanicosa species
Australian Union-Jack Wolf Spider (Tasmanicosa) Identification
A conservative genus-level guide to Australian Union-Jack wolf spiders: a radiating carapace pattern can support Tasmanicosa, but it cannot identify a species from an ordinary photograph.
Usually low riskAustralian Union-Jack wolf spider is the common group name used for the endemic Australian genus Tasmanicosa. The 2016 revision recognises 14 Tasmanicosa species. Their radiating light and dark carapace lines can make a convincing Union-Jack-like clue, but close relatives overlap in build, colour and habitat, so this page deliberately remains Tasmanicosa species rather than guessing a species name. A safe photograph, broad locality and natural retreat context can support a possible genus-level identification; adult anatomical characters examined by a specialist are normally needed to separate species. Do not handle a spider or disturb a burrow to inspect it.
Quick identification
- A relatively large, robust wolf spider with radiating pale and dark lines on the carapace that can suggest a Union-Jack pattern
- Eight eyes in three rows is a wolf-spider family clue; use a safe zoom photo, never a close face inspection
- An active ground hunter on soil, leaf litter or a path, without a broad aerial capture web
- A shallow soil burrow can be relevant; some Tasmanicosa make a flimsy trapdoor, but a hole alone proves nothing
- Australian locality, broad habitat and an adult specialist examination are needed before applying a Tasmanicosa species name
What to check next
Photograph from above at a safe distance, include the whole spider and its undisturbed setting, and note only a broad locality, date and whether there was a natural shallow burrow. Check the wolf-spider eye arrangement and ground-hunting behaviour first. Treat Tasmanicosa as a possible genus, not a certain species, from an ordinary photo. Compare the Garden wolf spider page only as a different named species route; do not use its image or name to fill a gap in this identification.
When to seek medical help
Do not let a genus label overrule bite safety. For a clearly witnessed ordinary wolf-spider bite, wash with soap and water, apply a wrapped cold pack and seek medical advice for marked or persistent pain, spreading swelling, vomiting, headache or other illness. Call 000 for collapse, breathing difficulty or anaphylaxis. If the spider could instead be a large dark funnel-web or mouse spider, especially in eastern Australia, treat the bite as an emergency: call 000, keep the person still and use pressure immobilisation if trained and equipped. Do not delay first aid to catch or identify the spider.
Where it is usually seen
Tasmanicosa are Australian ground hunters associated in the revision with open woodland and floodplain settings, with some species extending into semi-arid inland country. A shallow burrow may be made in suitable soil, sometimes with a light trapdoor. A garden, lawn, path or log edge can be a plausible encounter setting, but it is not a species diagnosis and individual species have much narrower distributions than the genus.