About Phonognatha graeffei (Keyserling, 1865)
Phonognatha graeffei, commonly called the leaf curling spider, is a common Australian spider found in woodlands and urban areas of Australia's northeastern, eastern, and southern states. It is a member of the orb-weaver family Araneidae, and was previously classified in the family Tetragnathidae. This species is distinguished by the curled leaf that sits at the center of its web, where the spider shelters. Before reaching maturity and mating, mature pairs of this species already live together inside the same curled leaf shelter, occupying opposite ends of the leaf. The female of the species builds a separate curled leaf nursery structure that is hung in nearby foliage. This spider is commonly distributed across open woodland and forest habitats, as well as urban and suburban gardens, in the northeastern, eastern, and southern Australian states.
