About Celaenia excavata (L.Koch, 1867)
Celaenia excavata, commonly known as the bird dropping spider, is native to Australia and New Zealand. It gets its name from its mimicry of bird droppings, which it uses to avoid predators, most commonly birds. Male Celaenia excavata are much smaller than females: males reach around 2.5 mm in size, while females grow to about 12 mm. This spider is found across most of eastern and southern Australia, and has also been recorded in central Australia. It is commonly seen in suburban gardens. The egg sacs produced by this species are large, marbled brown spheres, each measuring approximately 12 mm in diameter. Each egg sac holds over 200 eggs. Females can produce up to 13 of these egg sacs, which are strung or silked together into a group with strong threads. The spider often waits for prey underneath this grouped cluster of egg sacs. The toxicity of Celaenia excavata to humans is not known, though a bite may be able to cause mild illness.
