Cribellate Orb Weaver

Description:

Uloboridae; Zosis; Zosis geniculata (Olivier, 1789). "Zosis geniculata sometimes referred to as the humped spider or grey house spider,[citation needed] is a cosmopolitan species with a pantropical distribution. In Australia, it is often seen in buildings near human habitation." Wikipedia. I prefer to use the Common Name "Cribellate Orb Weaver" for this spider and its near relative Uloborus plumipes simply because that name highlights the single most important feature of these spiders - Cribellate Silk. It is generally known that orb weaving spiders capture prey using silk which is sticky, but the Uloborids have a different technique. They use "Cribellate" silk which is mostly made up from nano fibres. Apparently prey get tangled in this and can't escape (because the silk is immensely strong) without any stickiness being involved.

Habitat:

This Zosis geniculata was spotted, in our front garden, building a web on some plants growing up against the garden wall.

Notes:

Pictures and info: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/172199-... https://www.thailandnatureproject.com/zo...