The spectacular middle (median) spines project upward and outward, curving in toward each other along their length.

The front (anterior) and rear (posterior) spines are short, relatively inconspicuous, and roughly equal in length.

The ventral surface of the abdomen bears yellow or orange marks, and the median spines can show a bluish iridescence.

[7] The taxon was first described by Eugène Simon in 1864 as a subgenus of Gasteracantha,[8] and was raised to genus status in 1974 by Michel Emerit.

[5][11] Based on a study in Singapore, the species appears to depend heavily on primary tropical forest.