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''Austracantha minax'', commonly known as the jewel spider or the Christmas spider, is a species of orb-weaver spiders endemic to Australia. They are relatively small spiders, reaching a maximum total body length of only around for females, and for males. Their abdomen has six distinctive projections ("spines") that makes them easy to identify. They are predominantly a shiny black, with variable white, yellow, and orange patterns. Melanistic forms also occur during autumn. They are facultatively gregarious, and can be found in large aggregations of overlapping orb webs. They feed on small flying insects that get entangled in their webs. They are harmless to humans, though the webs can be a nuisance for bushwalkers. They are most abundant during the summer months. ''Austracantha minax'' is the only species in the genus ''Austracantha''. It has five subspecies. ==Taxonomy and nomenclature== ''Austracantha minax'' is most commonly known as "jewel spiders" due to their body colouration.〔 This may sometimes be specified further as "Australian jewel spiders" due to the common name being shared with the unrelated North American jewel spider ''Araneus gemmoides'', as well as the widespread jewel box spider ''Gasteracantha cancriformis''. In some parts of Australia they are also widely known as "Christmas spiders" because they are most numerous during the summer months (December and January).〔 Other common names for the species include "six-spined spiders" and "spiny spiders" in reference to the spine-like projections on their abdomens. ''Austracantha minax'' is classified under the monotypic genus ''Austracantha'' of the orb-weaver family Araneidae. The generic name is derived from Latin ''auster'' ("south") and Greek ἄκανθα (''ákantha'', "thorn"). The specific name is from Latin ''mināx'' ("jutting out" or "projecting").〔 It was first described in 1859 by the Swedish arachnologist Tamerlan Thorell from a female specimen recovered from Sydney, Australia (then still known as New Holland). He classified it under the genus ''Gasteracantha''. In 1914, the German arachnologist Friedrich Dahl moved it to its own subgenus, ''Austracantha'', within ''Gasteracantha''. ''Austracantha'' was elevated to genus in 1974 by the French arachnologist Michel Emerit. ''Austracantha minax'' has five recognised subspecies.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Austracantha minax」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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