Above Ground Basking in a Terrestrial Spider 
Simon Fearn 
hroughout winter on sunny days, particularly after a 
frost, a maximal sized female trapdoor spider Lycosa 
simonsi of around 30mm in body length has been 
exhibiting unusual behavior. She has been climbing up 
on top of a shrub (Baekia virgata ) in my Riverside, 
Launceston garden and basking all day in the sun. She 
appears once the shrub is in full sun and disappears 
again once the shrub is in shade. 
These large spiders normally spend their lives in a silk 
lined burrow with a very well camouflaged lid (see the 
Tas. Nat. Bull.347). Whether her burrow was at the base 
of the shrub, or for whatever reason she did not have 
one, it is nonetheless highly unusual to see these strictly 
ground dwelling spiders basking in the tops of shrubs. 
Bruny Island Bird Festival 
25-28 October 2012 
The focus of this four day festival is a celebration of Bruny Island birdlife. Proceeds support bird habitat conservation 
works and community awareness projects. 
The festival includes a range of guided birdwatching tours, boat trips along the amazing Bruny Coastline and flights 
to Melaleuca in the South West World Heritage Area to search for the Orange-bellied Parrot. 
Lots of opportunities to socialise, view beautiful artworks and photography, listen to expert speakers and poets. 
Full program details and the booking form are available on the website www.bien.org.au, by emailing 
bien.network(a)gmail.com or phone (03) 6293 2034. 
Tasmanian Field Naturalists Club 
Page 8 
BULLETIN 348 Oct 2012 
