Australomisidia pilula
Pill Flower Spider Identification Australia
A small Australian flower crab spider, `Australomisidia pilula`, often described as lozenge-shaped; use its low foliage hunting context and crab-spider form together, not colour alone.
Usually low riskPill flower spider is a useful common label for `Australomisidia pilula`, a true crab spider in the family Thomisidae. The compact, broad or lozenge-like abdomen and front legs held out sideways can make a good field lead, especially on leaves and low shrubs. They are small, however, and many Australian thomisids share the same ambush posture, shifting colours and foliage habitat. This page keeps the accepted species name while treating a phone photograph as a likely identification rather than proof: adult reproductive anatomy and a clear full-body view may be needed to rule out similar `Australomisidia` and other flower spiders.
Quick identification
- A very small thomisid: a Tasmanian field record lists a 4.75 mm female and 3 mm male
- A compact oval, rounded or lozenge-like abdomen rather than a long narrow body
- The first two leg pairs held laterally in the crab-spider stance; a whole-body view is more useful than one leg
- A still ambush position on a leaf, shrub, tree branch or flower, without a prey-catching web
- A supported locality in Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria or Tasmania, while remembering that place alone cannot prove the species
What to check next
Photograph the whole upper surface, a side or front view showing the leg posture, a body-only scale and the plant or substrate. Compare the broader flower-spider page plus white flower, green crab and running crab spiders, but retain a Thomisidae or `Australomisidia` identification if the abdomen outline, adult sex and locality are unclear.
When to seek medical help
Usually low risk. Australian Museum states that flower spiders are not dangerous to people. For a witnessed ordinary spider bite, healthdirect advises washing with soap and water, using a wrapped cold pack for swelling and seeking medical care if pain is severe or persistent, swelling worsens or the person feels unwell. Call 000 for breathing difficulty, collapse or other signs of anaphylaxis. Do not handle a spider to settle the identification.
Where it is usually seen
Leaves of trees and bushes, low shrubs, garden vegetation and woodland. A Canberra regional guide quotes this species as common in southern woodland, including Tasmania; the exact plant and microhabitat still vary from sighting to sighting.