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Project Noah Nature School
Eriophora transmarina
This 15mm orb-weaving spider had a triangular abdomen with a pale brownish-grey pattern. A flat disc-like cephalothorax was dark with a median patch of dense setae. Long legs were mottled with sparse study spikes. A medially placed pair of eyes are visible in pic #1 The spider had black palps - male. A thin mesh of silk was tented over the abdomen.
Garden
Family: Araneidae
Spotted on Jan 29, 2013
Submitted on Jan 30, 2013
9 Comments
Lol, that explains the feeling of desperation in their dance, no escape:(
Stephen, thanks for the interesting information. You got me interested in this supposed post-coital cannibalism in spiders - if you haven't already read this or similar, here's something interesting and amusing:
http://www.economist.com/node/1875197...
The odd body movements of the male spiders was something that seemed to occur around breeding time. I watched several very large females for a couple of seasons and the only time males were visible was at that time and they did some crazy actions when they were disturbed or stressed. Probably thinking of post-coital dining and wondering if they were it!
Thanks Sergio ! -looked like he was trying out some Yoga postures !!
Beautiful spider and series, Leuba, congrats.
Martin, thanks for looking at this. The more I look at spiders from Genus Eriophora the more confused I get..I also heard that there was a review about the generic name - I thought that hey might be renaming Eriophora as Cyclosa ??.
This spider is a male, I am sure I could see his dark palps. I saw him later that night and he was down dangling in his web, legs stretched out, hoping to catch prey..
Beautiful series.
What a bizarre looking creature. This is a male garden orb and one of several species. I found a similar one here. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/846...
The females are more traditional shaped.
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/893...
what an interesting position... might be meditating