Species profile

Courtaraneus orientalis

FamilyAraneidae GenusCourtaraneus NZ statusEndemic HabitatScrub and forest margins; large orb webs high in vegetation DistributionNew Zealand

Courtaraneus orientalis is one of New Zealand’s largest endemic orb-weaving spiders and the only species currently placed in Courtaraneus. It occurs in New Zealand around scrub and forest margins. The 2022 revision documented confirmed adults from the North Island and also noted South Island observations near Boyle Village. Its large vertical orb web has widely spaced capture threads and an irregular, often incomplete hub.

Photo gallery

12 photos

_MG_6530E (Large).tif (Courtaraneus orientalis), Araneidae, photographed in New Zealand by Bryce McQuillan — MG_6530E-Large | *Courtaraneus* *orientalis*

_MG_6514E.tif (Courtaraneus orientalis), Araneidae, photographed in New Zealand by Bryce McQuillan — mg_6514e | *Courtaraneus* *orientalis*

_MG_6528E (Courtaraneus orientalis), Araneidae, photographed in New Zealand by Bryce McQuillan — mg_6528e | *Courtaraneus* *orientalis*

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