[3] The Australian spider beetle (Pictus tectus) measures 2.5–4 mm in length and is coloured dark brown.

Characteristics which give them a spider-like appearance include a stout body, pronounced constriction of the neck shield and 6 long thin legs with 5-segmented tarsi.

[4] The female Australian spider beetle lays 100–120 sticky eggs over a period of 4–5 weeks in early summer, either singly or in small batches.

At 20–25 °C the eggs hatch in 3–16 days, producing larvae which are fleshy, curved, covered with fine hairs and relatively immobile.

The minimum temperature at which complete development can occur is 10 °C and the maximum is between 28 and 30 °C.