Wendy Gardiner, from Queensland, Australia, stepped outside her home to check on her native beehive. As she did, she felt something land on her head.
Initially, she thought it was just a falling leaf. However, the object quickly fell into a nearby potted plant, sparking her curiosity.
A strange, orange creature caught her attention
Gardiner looked down to see a strange, orange creature moving. Upon closer inspection, she counted eight legs and realized it was a spider. But it didn’t resemble any spider she had ever seen before.
“I’ve been looking at spiders for many, many years,” Gardiner told *The Dodo*. “But I’d never seen anything like it before.”
A spider that resembled a Cornish pasty
Originally from England, Gardiner thought the spider looked like a Cornish pasty, a traditional British pastry.
To her delight, she also noticed a crown-like design on its back, making her feel it was a pastry fit for royalty.
“It looked like a pastry that had been cooked for the king!” she said.
Identifying the rare spider with help from social media
Unable to identify the spider, Gardiner decided to share her photos on a Facebook group, asking for assistance. Within no time, she received an answer. The creature was identified as a four-spined jewel spider (Gasteracantha quadrispinosa). This colorful arachnid is found only in Queensland and New Guinea.
“People were very intrigued by it because of the interesting markings on the back,” Gardiner said.
One person said: It’s that mystery thing in the junk drawer that you kept for 7 years, threw away, and then realized what you needed it for a week later.
A second wrote: A hair clip bug.
While a third commented: I had a spider charge me once, when I lean in to see what it was. I sprayed it and it still charged me. That’s the blow torch type.
Another added: That’s a spider that mutated and merged with a tank! That’s why it has a tough back armour.
The spider disappears, but Gardiner remains hopeful
Gardiner continued to observe the spider in her backyard. She noticed it was busy spinning a new web after her disturbance had disrupted its previous one.
Eventually, Gardiner returned inside her home. When she stepped back outside, the spider was gone.
Despite not encountering another crowned arachnid, she remains hopeful. Whenever she checks on her bees, she keeps an eye out for the rare spider.
“I hope that I see more,” Gardiner said.