Jump to content

Arachnura higginsi: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
speciesbox
Description and habit: +info, ce, more encyclopedic, needs inline refs
Line 12: Line 12:


==Description and habit==
==Description and habit==
The body length of males is 2 mm and females around 16 mm. Body colour varies from cream to brown. Juveniles may be brightly coloured. The tiny male does not possess a tail. The prominent tail is somewhat similar to a scorpion, though the creature is harmless to humans. The web is near ground level, on an angle or sometimes horizontal. Small flying insects are the usual prey.
The body length of the female is around 16 mm with the male being much smaller at around 2 mm. Body colour varies between individuals and may range from cream through brown to black, sometimes with a brightly coloured yellow to red patch on the top of the [[Spider anatomy#Abdomen|abdomen]]. Juveniles may be more brightly coloured.


Only the females possess a tail and this increases in length with each [[Ecdysis|moult]]. The prominent tail looks somewhat similar to that of a [[scorpion]] but has no sting and the spider is considered to be harmless to humans.
Egg sacs number up to eight. They are oval in shape, 5 mm x 4 mm of tough, brown silk with a woolly appearance. Egg sacs are added across missing sectors of the web. Eggs are creamy, 0.8mm in diameter, 50 to 60 in number, not sticky.

The spider's [[Spider web#Orb web construction|web]] is usually located close to the ground, and may be oriented vertically, on an angle, or sometimes horizontally. The spider's usual prey consists of small flying insects.

The female deposits between 50 and 60 eggs in an [[Spider#Reproduction|egg sac]], of which there may be as many as eight distrbuted across missing sectors of the web. The sacs are oval in shape, 5 mm x 4 mm of tough, brown silk with a woolly appearance. The eggs are creamy in colour, 0.8mm in diameter, and not sticky.


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 02:37, 4 February 2020

Arachnura higginsi
Female juvenile
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Araneidae
Genus: Arachnura
Species:
A. higginsi
Binomial name
Arachnura higginsi
(Koch, 1872)
Synonyms
  • Epeira higginsii
  • Arachnura higginsii

Arachnura higginsi, known as the tailed spider or scorpion tailed spider and the scorpion orb weaver, is a common Australian spider belonging to the family Araneidae. It occurs in many parts of Australia.

Description and habit

The body length of the female is around 16 mm with the male being much smaller at around 2 mm. Body colour varies between individuals and may range from cream through brown to black, sometimes with a brightly coloured yellow to red patch on the top of the abdomen. Juveniles may be more brightly coloured.

Only the females possess a tail and this increases in length with each moult. The prominent tail looks somewhat similar to that of a scorpion but has no sting and the spider is considered to be harmless to humans.

The spider's web is usually located close to the ground, and may be oriented vertically, on an angle, or sometimes horizontally. The spider's usual prey consists of small flying insects.

The female deposits between 50 and 60 eggs in an egg sac, of which there may be as many as eight distrbuted across missing sectors of the web. The sacs are oval in shape, 5 mm x 4 mm of tough, brown silk with a woolly appearance. The eggs are creamy in colour, 0.8mm in diameter, and not sticky.

References

  • Australian Spiders in Colour - Ramon Mascord 1970 SBN 589 07065 7
  • Platnick, Norman I. (2009): The world spider catalog, version 9.5. American Museum of Natural History.