'Petrifying' sacs discovered in this mum's backyard! What could they be?
- Replies 10
Content warning: This story discusses themes that may trigger arachnophobia. Please be advised.
For some, the heart of every home is the garden, providing much-needed outdoor respite with many plants and trees to bring beauty and serenity to the area.
But, as a mum found out very recently, there can be surprises lurking among the foliage–and it may not always be the pleasant kind.
Ashlee, a mum of two from the Sutherland Shire, was in for a 'petrifying' shock when she discovered a cluster of strange pods hanging from one of her palm trees.
'The palm branch is up high and poolside on my path to the clothesline. I just happened to look up this time', Ashlee recalled.
She shared photos of the sacs, each about the size of a pear, and said she had ‘never seen anything like it’.
Unable to contain her curiosity over this peculiar find, Ashlee quickly took to a local community social media group to ask for answers.
The verdict? It was soon established that the pods contained spider eggs belonging to an Australian species known as the Magnificent Spider (Ordgarius magnificus).
‘I am petrified of spiders,’ Hannah said.
‘I had a hunch it was a spider, but they looked way too big,’ she added.
‘I honestly want to tear down the branch as I have two young girls under two, but that means getting near it.’
A single sac can hold up to about 600 of these distinctive spiders, making for up to 3,600 potential hatchlings in Ashlee's garden.
Magnificent Spiders are often mistaken for dangerous critters, but they are completely non-venomous and harmless to humans according to Simon Hinkley, Museums Victoria Research Institute's Collection Manager of Terrestrial Invertebrates.
Magnificent Spiders dwell in native trees in dry and wet Australian forests and sometimes pop up in suburban gardens.
The spider earned its 'sushi' and 'marshmallow' nicknames due to the unique markings on its abdomen.
‘The female magnificent spider is very distinctive in its markings. It is white with two bright yellow knobs on its abdomen, and a number of salmon-coloured spots and blotches as well,’ the Australian Museum explained.
Ashlee’s post garnered attention from other users on social media. Surprisingly, despite the general aversion to spiders people have, some expressed awe at the mum’s garden discovery.
A user said, ‘Omg never seen anything like this.’
‘Beautiful...bring them to [my garden]! Don't kill them,’ another added.
And of course, some didn’t let the opportunity for cheeky humour pass, with a third mentioning the pods looked like ‘aliens’.
Ashlee, upon learning what they really were, said: ‘I’m thinking I may need to hire someone to perform a ritual or burn the house.’
In response, a calmer user recommended ‘cutting off the palm frond and placing it somewhere away from your house’.
As you very well know, Australia is also home to very dangerous spiders.
We previously shared the story of a man advised against killing a venomous funnel-web spider for a rather practical reason. You can read more on this story here.
How about you, members? Have you ever seen these pods in your backyard before? What other spiders have you roaming around your home? Share them with us in the comments below!
For some, the heart of every home is the garden, providing much-needed outdoor respite with many plants and trees to bring beauty and serenity to the area.
But, as a mum found out very recently, there can be surprises lurking among the foliage–and it may not always be the pleasant kind.
Ashlee, a mum of two from the Sutherland Shire, was in for a 'petrifying' shock when she discovered a cluster of strange pods hanging from one of her palm trees.
'The palm branch is up high and poolside on my path to the clothesline. I just happened to look up this time', Ashlee recalled.
A cluster of strange pods was seen hanging from a mum’s backyard palm tree. Image source: Yahoo News / Ashlee.
She shared photos of the sacs, each about the size of a pear, and said she had ‘never seen anything like it’.
Unable to contain her curiosity over this peculiar find, Ashlee quickly took to a local community social media group to ask for answers.
The verdict? It was soon established that the pods contained spider eggs belonging to an Australian species known as the Magnificent Spider (Ordgarius magnificus).
‘I am petrified of spiders,’ Hannah said.
‘I had a hunch it was a spider, but they looked way too big,’ she added.
‘I honestly want to tear down the branch as I have two young girls under two, but that means getting near it.’
A single sac can hold up to about 600 of these distinctive spiders, making for up to 3,600 potential hatchlings in Ashlee's garden.
Magnificent Spiders are often mistaken for dangerous critters, but they are completely non-venomous and harmless to humans according to Simon Hinkley, Museums Victoria Research Institute's Collection Manager of Terrestrial Invertebrates.
Magnificent Spiders dwell in native trees in dry and wet Australian forests and sometimes pop up in suburban gardens.
The spider earned its 'sushi' and 'marshmallow' nicknames due to the unique markings on its abdomen.
‘The female magnificent spider is very distinctive in its markings. It is white with two bright yellow knobs on its abdomen, and a number of salmon-coloured spots and blotches as well,’ the Australian Museum explained.
The Magnificent Spider has been called ‘sushi’ or ‘marshmallow’ spider. Image source: Australian Museum.
Ashlee’s post garnered attention from other users on social media. Surprisingly, despite the general aversion to spiders people have, some expressed awe at the mum’s garden discovery.
A user said, ‘Omg never seen anything like this.’
‘Beautiful...bring them to [my garden]! Don't kill them,’ another added.
And of course, some didn’t let the opportunity for cheeky humour pass, with a third mentioning the pods looked like ‘aliens’.
Ashlee, upon learning what they really were, said: ‘I’m thinking I may need to hire someone to perform a ritual or burn the house.’
In response, a calmer user recommended ‘cutting off the palm frond and placing it somewhere away from your house’.
We previously shared the story of a man advised against killing a venomous funnel-web spider for a rather practical reason. You can read more on this story here.
How about you, members? Have you ever seen these pods in your backyard before? What other spiders have you roaming around your home? Share them with us in the comments below!
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just not in my bed
A rather pretty spider but the picture shows it having only 6 legs. Spiders have 8 legs.
