Funnel Web vs. Spider Wasp (no pics)

[Serpentess]

At work yesterday, in the 600m sky tower (I'm a camera operator at the races) a large Australian Funnel Web had called a little clay (and webbed) mound in a space of the tin wall it's home. Definitely was a funnel web spider, by the way. I think this clay mound was possibly once a wasp nest (as there is literally hundreds of empty wasp nests in that tower). This is about 30cm away from where I stand when filming.

Anyway, about 15mins before a race a 'Yellow Antenna Black Spider Wasp' found the funnel web's home and decided to give him hell. Haha. The spider wasp would crawl in and the funnel web would charge out and then quickly retreat. The spider wasp tried to enter the bottom of the mound and the top of the mound but was charged each time. Finally I saw the spider wasp crawl in and come rushing back out, falling to the ground and flying off to never be seen again.

Thought this was interesting so I decided to share the story for anyone with an interest in those animals. The weirdest part of this for me is the funnel webs choice of residence. This tower is a good 10m-15m high, the funnel web was in a mound on the wall (at my thigh height). Never heard of that before.

Once again, this was definitely a funnel web, I got a real good, close look at him when the wasp disappeared. Apologies for the lack of pictures, I only had my phone with me and it fails terribly at taking photos.

 

[Sock Puppet]

Nice one, I've only ever seen spider wasps with huntsman spiders before.

 

[Serpentess]

Nice one, I've only ever seen spider wasps with huntsman spiders before.

Yeah, the funnel web lived to see another day. I'm just glad the battle was short, cause I wasn't too comfortable being that close to it. Haha

 

[hornet]

i highly doubt it was a funnelweb spider going off your location and where you found it, probably a black house spider

 

[Serpentess]

i highly doubt it was a funnelweb spider going off your location and where you found it, probably a black house spider

Was larger than a house spider. Was probably about 3-4cm in length.
If it was not a funnel web then the closest thing would be a male mouse spider.
This spider had the "detector" webs strung out around it's funnel. This would suggest a funnel web.
I am also located at the edge of the funnel webs distribution.

 

[REPTILIAN-KMAN]

looks like 8 legs are better than 4

my uncle used to have a shed full of spiders that he used to set one spider against the other ! redbacks, funnel webs .

sick puppy he was !

 

[hornet]

i highly doubt it would be anything like that, mouse spider, funnelweb, trapdoor as they all require high humidity to breathe so need a nice moist area to call home, nesting up in the tower in an old wasp nest chances are it would be some kind of Araneomorph

 

[Serpentess]

i highly doubt it would be anything like that, mouse spider, funnelweb, trapdoor as they all require high humidity to breathe so need a nice moist area to call home, nesting up in the tower in an old wasp nest chances are it would be some kind of Araneomorph

Well that was the thing that I found most interesting. That's not to say funnel webs aren't found up high though, the tree funnel web is found high up in some trees.

As for the humidity, well, there is a large pond in the middle of our track, a creek behind the tower and where i live has all round very humid days.

I wouldn't rule it out completely, but I wouldn't say it was so. Stranger things have happened. The appearance and behaviour suggests funnel web, the choice of it's residence suggests otherwise. As you may read I found where it was to be most interesting.


Edit: I'm working the track on Thursday too, I'll take my point and shoot camera in case I end up on the 600m tower and if he's still there I'll try to get a shot of him.