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Project Noah Nature School
Argyrodes nephilae
Very small spider... Maybe 1/2 inch long, legs included. Behavior was very odd; when startled, it would scamper off a bit, then pose with its legs stretched out in front like shown. It also seems to be sharing the web of what I was told was a "barn spider" just a bit bigger. It was a tangled up very disorderly yet strong web. ( at first I was hesitant to poke around thinking it was a brown widow, but fortunately it was not. )
Ocala Florida, Silver Springs State Park Ranger Station outside front wall. Discovered by a very observant Ranger who really really loves spiders and really wants to know what this is. Posted with her permission, as this is her photo.
Actually I just posted the pic... Two of our awesome Rangers get credit for noticing the wee beastie! :)
I was stumped for a bit on this one. Had to run through a process of elimination, as none of the spiders I'm familiar with matched this specimen. A light bulb flicked on in my head and I figured out the answer.
Argyrodes is special because it is a kleptoparasite, meaning it hangs out in other spiders' webs and steals their food when they're distracted. This species in particular will attach a silk line to the prey, cut it out of the web, and carry it off. What a cheapskate eh?
Anyways, you're welcome for the ID, Karen. You managed to find a very unique spider, so I hope you're excited. I sure would be!
Feel free to pass this information to that ranger you mentioned. I bet he/she will find it very interesting.
Spotted on May 31, 2015
Submitted on Jun 1, 2015
