Came across a bunch of these guys all hangin out together on a hike in Australia.
Does anyone have any clue what they are? I thought maybe spiny orb weavers but they dont match perfectly.
For anyone from the Americas who thought they’ve seen these little guys before, Gasteracanta cancriformus is probably the cousin of OP’s orb weaver spider that you’re familiar with.
I talk about these guys and the banana spiders a lot! Banana spiders were so cool.
Those are skulltulas.
Google Lens says Jewel Spider / Christmas Spider
Looks right, lives in Australia, and only one of its genus.
wikipedia.org/wiki/Austracantha
They are facultatively gregarious, and can be found in large aggregations of overlapping orb webs.
Sounds like what you got there!
Of course they’re in Australia
I hate to break it to you, but spiders live everywhere.
These look rather small, too.
