Ghost Spider

Description:

This Ghost Spider, Neoscona punctigera, is a female (according to Wikipedia). The species is best known, in the Philippines, for its reputation as a ferocious fighter. Spider fighting is considered a sport here and a group of three leading scientists have written a scientific paper which is really worth reading - https://bepls.com/beplsjan2016/2.pdf... The paper is, as one would expect, very respectful of local culture and tradition, but they issue the following warning "This may soon result in an environmental problem since the derby spider’s population may soon be dramatically reduced creating ecological imbalance".

Habitat:

Spotted in our backyard on Tropical Whiteweed (Ageratum conyzoides Linn.) known in the Philippines by various names in many dialects. In our local dialect, this plant is called Salunay. Local farmers don't like it much, but I love it because it hosts numerous insects (which, in turn, attract many spiders).