The orb weaving spider is a spiny or horned spider. What you need to know about the karakurt spider? Spiny Spider

This small spider has many names - spiny spider, spiny orb spider, horned spider, etc. The thing is that along the edges of its wide abdomen there are 6 spines (“horns”), which give the spider a rather threatening appearance. appearance.

These spiders are common in tropical and subtropical zones. They can be found in the southern part of the USA (from California to Florida), in Central America (Jamaica, Cuba, Dominican Republic), South America, in the Bahamas, as well as in Australia and the Philippines. As we can see, their habitat is quite extensive. They weave their nets in bushes and trees near swamps and streams.

The appearance of the spider is very unusual. The spider is wider than it is long. So the length of the female’s body is 5-9 mm, and the width is 10-13 mm. These spiders have pronounced sexual dimorphism, i.e. females are several times larger than males. Their body length is only 2-3 mm. Unlike many species of spiders, the horned spider has short legs.

Spikes along the edge of the abdomen

Male spiny spider

Female spiny spider

Spiny spiders attract attention not only with their unusual body proportions, but also with the variegated coloring of their abdomen. It can be white, bright yellow, red, black, etc. Their colors depend on the species and habitat. The legs, shield and lower part of the abdomen are black with white spots under the belly. In males, the lower part of the abdomen is gray with white spots.

Yellow color

White color

And even this color

On the outer part of the abdomen there is a peculiar pattern of black dots, which are arranged in 4 rows. All of them have a mirror arrangement according to the vertical axis of the body. Does this drawing remind you of anything?

Like Jackson's mask?

There are six spines along the edge of the abdomen. They are also called "backbones". They can be black or red. In males they are not so pronounced, and their number may be less - 4-5 spines. They give the spider a more intimidating appearance, which helps scare off potential enemies. Otherwise they may become quite delicious snack. In addition, hard thorns make it difficult to swallow their owner.

They feed on small insects that they catch in their nets. The spider trap is a fairly strong net, reaching a diameter of 30 centimeters. It has practically perfect shape circle, in the middle of which there is a thin network. It serves as a base for the spider. Only females weave webs. The males are located nearby, hanging on several threads.

Spiny spider webs

Central part of the web

It is interesting that if these spiders live in a small group, then the caught prey is divided among everyone, regardless of whose net it fell into. But most often they live alone.

As for the reproductive process, scientists still do not understand whether these spiders are polygamous or monogamous (the female mates with one male or several). In nature, sometimes you can see females with up to 3 hanging males around the web.

The male notifies the female of his presence by making peculiar taps on the network. After fertilization, he dies 6-7 days later, unless he becomes the female’s lunch immediately after mating.

The female begins to weave a cocoon on the inside of the leaf not far from the web, into which she then lays from 100 to 260 eggs. After this, she also dies. Thus, the life expectancy of these spiders is short: for males - up to 3 months, for females - up to a year. Spiders are born in winter time. They grow up in 2-5 weeks and scatter in different directions.

The bite of this spider can be painful, but not dangerous. There may be slight redness and swelling at the site of the bite.

The spiny orb spider (Gasteracantha cancriformis) belongs to the class Arachnids.

Distribution of the spiny orb weaving spider.

The spiny orb weaving spider is found in many parts of the world. It is found in the southern United States from California to Florida, as well as Central America, Jamaica and Cuba.

Habitats of the spiny orb spider

They inhabit forested areas and bush gardens. Spiders are especially abundant in citrus groves in Florida. They are often found on trees or around trees and bushes.

External signs of a spiny spider - an orb weaver.

In spiny orb-weaving spiders, pronounced sexual dimorphism in size was observed. Females are 5 to 9 mm long and 10 to 13 mm wide. Males are 2 to 3 mm and slightly smaller in width. Six spines on the abdomen are present in all morphs, but color and shape are subject to geographic variability. Most spiders have white spots on the underside of their abdomen, but the coloration of the upper carapace can be red, orange or yellow. In addition, some spiny orb weaving spiders have colored legs.

Reproduction of the spiny spider - orb weaver.

Reproduction of spiny orb weaving spiders has been observed in captivity. Mating took place in laboratory conditions, where only one female and one male were present. It is assumed that a similar mating system occurs in nature. However, scientists are not sure whether these spiders are monogamous or polygamous.

Laboratory research mating behavior show that males visit a female's web and use a 4-fold rhythmic drumming call to attract the female spider.

After several cautious approaches, the male approaches the female and mates with her for 35 minutes or more. After mating, the male remains on the female’s web, and mating can be repeated.

The female lays 100 to 260 eggs in a cocoon, which is placed on the underside or upper side of the leaves next to the web. The cocoon has an oblong shape and is formed by loose, loosely fitting thin threads; it is firmly attached to the leaf blade using a special disk. On top, the cocoon is protected by another covering of several dozen coarse, hard, dark green threads. These threads form various longitudinal lines on the cocoon. After laying eggs, the female dies, the male dies even earlier, six days after mating.

Young spiders emerge from eggs and survive without the care of adults; they remain in place for several days to learn how to move. Then the spiders disperse in the spring, when they are already able to weave webs and lay eggs (females). Both males and females are able to reproduce between 2 and 5 weeks of age.

Spiny spiders - orb weavers - do not live long. The life span is short and lasts only until reproduction.

Behavior of the spiny orb weaving spider.

Reproduction of spiny spiders - orb weavers - occurs at the end of the year. Cobweb nets are built mainly by females every night; males usually hang on one of the cobweb threads near the female’s nest. The web trap hangs at a slight angle to the perpendicular line. The network itself consists of basic basis, which is formed by one vertical thread, it is connected to the second main line and radial threads.

The structure forms an angle formed by three main radii. Sometimes, a web has more than three main radii.

Having built the base, the spider begins to build a large outer radius, and then continues to attach secondary radii, which are attached in a spiral.

Females live solitarily in separate areas. Up to three males may hang on silken threads nearby. Females can be found at any time of the year, but are mostly found from October to January. Males are caught during October and November. Spider webs hang at a distance of 1 to 6 meters above the ground. They are active during the day, so these spiders easily collect prey at this time.

Diet of the spiny orb weaving spider.

Females build a web that they use to capture prey. They sit on the web with the outer side of the body turned downward, waiting for prey on the central disk. When small insect, the fly sticks to the web, the spider accurately determines the position of the victim and rushes towards it to bite, then transfers it to the central disk, where it eats the prey.

If the prey is smaller than the spider, it simply paralyzes the caught insect and moves it to eat. If the prey is larger than the spider, then the victim is first wrapped in a web, and only then does it move to the central disk.

If several insects are caught in the net at once, the spiny orb weaving spider finds all the insects and paralyzes them. If the spider is well-fed, then the victims hang on the web for some time and are eaten later. The spiny orb spider absorbs the liquid contents of its prey, internal organs dissolve under the influence of poison. Dry carcasses, covered with a chitinous shell, are thrown out of the net. There are often mummified remains lying around the web. The spiny orb spider eats whiteflies, beetles, moths and other small insects.

The spiny orb spider got its name due to the presence of spines on its back. These spines provide protection against attacks from predators. These spiders are very small, and environment inconspicuous, which increases their chances of survival.

Most of us are afraid of spiders. In fact, about 30% of Americans are afraid of spiders. No wonder. They have several huge eyes, many long legs, and they love to scurry around in dark places. But these features are not common to most spiders. Many of them are just very strange. Evolution played a big role in how these creatures developed. They used unique and strange methods to survive, including camouflage and efficient hunting abilities. Curious to know who's messing around there? Here are the 25 weirdest spiders.

25. Twig Spider

This remarkable spider's camouflage makes it look like a twig. Even if you were near one of them in its native India, you would be unlikely to notice it. In addition, it weaves a Y-shaped web, and not the kind we are used to seeing in spiders.

24. Spiny orb-weaving spider

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Although he looks scary, this little spotted guy is not dangerous to people. However, he can spin webs in places that annoy you. This is a unique, very recognizable spider and is commonly seen in the Houston area.

23. Spider Maratus Volans

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Also called peacock spiders, these colorful arachnids are very small and can fit on your fingernail. Male peacock spiders perform a mating dance to attract a mate. Although there are 20 known species Only 8 such arachnids have been officially identified.

22. Ant jumping spider

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This sneaky spider is also known as the red ant masquerading spider, which looks just like an ant to confuse its prey. Even in the animal world, no one can be trusted.

21. Long-legged spider

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The long-legged spider does not weave a web, but lies in wait for its prey on a tree or stone. It sits completely still until prey appears: when it is within range, it quickly attacks. If something larger than it is approaching it in size, the spider will run away faster than you can blink.

20. Water spider

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This spider is very strange. It creates a web to form a bubble of water around it and uses it as gills to breathe underwater. It uses its newly created gills to hunt underwater. And, yes, it can kill small fish. Even fish are not protected from spiders.

19. Australian funnel-web spider

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This asocial spider usually stays away from people, but people encounter them when males come out during mating season to find a female. Unfortunately, such an encounter could prove fatal. Thanks to its nature, this spider is capable of killing a person in 15 minutes.

18. Long-horned orb-weaving spider

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Among the many strange spiders, this is one of the strangest. Firstly, he doesn’t look like a spider at all, and secondly, he has incredible long horns. It is because of their menacing appearance that you would probably be terrified if you saw a spider in the flesh.

17. Killer Spider

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Most spiders are killers in their own right, and wait patiently for the right moment. But the killer spider truly deserves its name. This spider hunts other spiders, and it does this very well thanks to its huge jaws and venom, which help it deal with its opponents. If you were a spider, this would be your worst nightmare.

16. Hemp spider

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If you were in the forest, you might imagine that this spider is watching your every move. Doesn't this scare you? But it should. Evolving over millions of years, this spider has acquired the ability to look just like a tree, hence its name.

15. Jumping spider

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Nobody wants to know the fact that a spider can jump. They can already run fast, hide and build complex structures. But, jumping? No thanks. Unfortunately, the jumping spider does exactly what no one wants. He can jump a distance corresponding to the length of 50 of his bodies.

14. Black Armored Stealth Spider

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One of many species of secretive spiders, this beast uses leaves, grasses and webs to construct an elaborate trap for its prey. When she passes by, he jumps out like a demon, dragging the victim into his lair.

13. Wrapping Spider

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If you're from Australia, you're definitely weird. This rule of thumb is true squared when we're talking about about the wrapping spider. To hide from prey, it literally wraps itself around a branch and hides, looking incredibly flat. Luckily, it's not very dangerous to humans, but it will make your knees shake when you think about it.

12. Spider Argyrodes Colubrinus

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Better known as the whip spider, this very strange spider boasts a long tail that resembles a whip, hence its name, and can easily camouflage itself as it is also stick-like.

11. Smiling Spider

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Discovered on Hawaiian Islands, this spider looks like it has a smiling face on its stomach. There are many varieties of spiders of this genus, and some of them have a frowning face rather than a smiling one.

10. Vitsiriya – wide jaw

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This spider is distinguished not only by its unique body shape, but also by its massive jaws. Found in Singapore and Indonesia and with huge jaws, it is also part of the jumping spider family.

9. Scorpion-tailed spider

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Now we move on to the truly strange creatures. Not surprisingly, this spider is found in Australia and Tasmania and has a very a long tail. Its body shape is unique of its kind. There is no other spider like it.

8. Ladybug Spider

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The body of this spider looks just like the body ladybug. Looking harmless is exactly what he wants. The prey will approach him, and before he realizes what is happening, he will be within his reach.

7. Huntsman Spider

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Although most huntsman spiders avoid people, on rare occasions they appear and do not leave. They are not only gigantic, but also quite poisonous. Their bite will not kill a person, but can cause serious harm and cause swelling. Naturally, they come from Australia.

6. Bird Dropping Crab Spider

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This spider is trying to look like a big turd. In addition, it even has the ability to smell bad. This two-fold camouflage distracts predators such as birds while attracting prey such as flies.

5. Mirror spider

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Another spider, true to its name, has a shiny, mirror-like, multi-colored abdomen. Not surprisingly, it is also found in Australia. The cone-shaped abdomen also resembles a snail shell.

4. Eight-spotted crab spider


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Discovered in Singapore in 1924, this spider boasts a spotted body that looks like it was created especially for Halloween. They are very unsociable, and few of them have been seen in the wild.

3. Ogre Spider

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Not only does this nasty spider have a horribly ugly face, but it can also spin webs and swoop down on its enemies. That's right, he basically catches his prey. When the victim is caught in the web, the spider bites it to paralyze it and then eats it.

2. Spider Eating bats


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By weaving a web large enough to catch a bat, these spiders reach large sizes. How big? About the size of a bat. The bats fly into their web, get stuck in it, and then go down big spider and eats them.

1. Bagheera Kipling

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Most spiders eat insects, except, of course, those spiders that eat bats. But now scientists have discovered a new spider - a vegetarian, who was named Kipling's Bagheera. It feeds on acacia bushes and avoids ants in every possible way.

Ecology

Attention! If you're afraid of spiders, you might not want to check out this list, but in this case, don't be afraid, as you'll find that these creatures are more awesome than creepy.

Spiders never cease to amaze, they are the most common predators in the world, what's more, they adapt to almost every imaginable habitat, with the exception of the sea, which has led to the emergence of countless species, many of which remain unknown to science.

10. Crab spiders

This spider has one of the most effective camouflages of any animal, with its body covered in warts that resemble bird droppings. Often these warts produce small white particles that cover the spider's body and resemble bird droppings. And no matter how surprising it is, it even smells appropriate.

This camouflage has a dual function: it helps the spider look like unappetizing prey to most animals (especially birds themselves), and it also serves as a lure for the small excrement-preferring insects that are its favorite prey. These spiders are native to Asia and can be found in Indonesia, Japan and other countries.

9. Spider - whip

The spider lives in Australia, its long and thin body It looks like a snake, hence the name of the species colubrinus, which means “snake-like”. Its unusual appearance is, again, an example of camouflage. Being like a small stick caught in a web, it eludes the attention of most predators and makes it easier for them to get their prey.

The whip spider belongs to the same family as dangerous spiders black widows. It is unknown how powerful the venom actually is in this spider, but it is generally described as very harmless due to its docile nature and short fangs.

8. Spider with a scorpion tail

The spider is so named because of the female's unusual abdomen, which ends in a scorpion-like "tail." When the spider feels threatened, it twists its tail into an arch, which resembles a scorpion. Only females have such a tail, males look like ordinary spiders, while they are much smaller in size.

These creatures live in Australia and are completely harmless. They often live in colonies, although each female spider builds her own webs and does not risk claiming the territories of other females.

7. Bagheera Kipling

This spider was named after Bagheera, the black panther in the tale of Mowgli by Rudyard Kipling. It would seem that the spider received this name because of the panther's agility, which is characteristic of almost all jumping spiders. However, while almost everyone famous spiders are “predatory jumpers”, Bagheera is almost a complete vegetarian, as he feeds exclusively on acacia buds and nectar.

She uses her dexterity only to protect herself from aggressive ants that protect the acacia from other animals. Sometimes Bagheera feeds on ant larvae, and sometimes, when very hungry, he can also eat another of his own kind. Oddly enough, the Jungle Book describes the moment when Bagheera says that during a time of food shortages she hopes to become a vegetarian.

6. Spider is a killer

Found in Madagascar and parts of Africa and Australia, long necks These bizarre predators are designed to support their jaws, which weigh a lot. They feed exclusively on other spiders, which is where they get their name.

Despite their menacing appearance and name, they are completely harmless to humans. It is interesting to note that these spiders have been living on earth since the time of dinosaurs. Perhaps it is for this reason that their appearance is so alien to us.

5. Water spider

This is the only completely aquatic spider in the world. They can be found in a wide variety of parts of the world, from Europe to Asia, from the UK to Siberia, and live in ponds, slow-moving streams of water and shallow lakes. Since it cannot take oxygen directly from the water, the spider constructs a bubble using silk, filling it with the air it carries (it captures the air bubbles with hairs that cover its entire body and limbs).

Once the bubble is formed, it becomes bell-shaped and shines silver, hence its name (Argyroneta means "pure silver"). The spider spends most of its time inside its bell, and only leaves it to replenish its oxygen supply. This spider feeds on aquatic invertebrates, including water striders and various larvae, and also hunts tadpoles and sometimes small fish.

4. Horned Spider

Horned spiders are a genus that includes 70 known species, many of which have yet to be discovered. They are found all over the world and are completely harmless, despite their scary appearance, horns and spines, which act as a deterrent to birds.

These spiders are also known for having small silken "flags" that cover the edges of their bodies. These flags make the spider's web more visible to small birds, which keeps them away. They can often be found in gardens and near houses.

3. Peacock Spider

Another Australian species. It got its name because of the bright coloring of the male bellies. Just like a peacock, the male "raises" this flap like a colorful fan and uses it to attract the attention of the female, who has very keen eyesight, like most jumping spiders. Moreover, the spider stands on its hind legs and begins to jump for a more dramatic effect. Another similarity with the peacock is that male spiders often court several females at the same time.

Until recently, it was believed that the male peacock spider could “glide” through the air, but now it has become clear that when he jumps, he spreads colorful flaps, which when jumping increase his amplitude, which is why he appears to be flying. Today, scientists understand that the flaps are used for display purposes, but that doesn't make the spider any less amazing.

2. Ant spider - jumper

This spider is an incredible example of mimicry when Living being scares away potential predators by disguising itself as a more dangerous creature of another species. In this case we are talking about a spider that looks like a weaver ant, whose bite is very painful, moreover, it produces two chemicals, increasing the pain from the bite. These ants are very aggressive, and the consequences of their bite will accompany you for several days after the trouble has occurred. Many birds, reptiles and amphibians try to avoid these ants.

On the other hand, this spider is absolutely harmless, but its appearance inspires horror in those animals that are familiar with the ant, because its head and chest, as well as two black spots on it, imitating the eyes of an ant, are extremely similar to this insect. Its forelimbs mimic the "antennas" of an ant, making the spider appear as if it only has six legs, just like an actual ant.

This type of spider can only be found in India, China and South-East Asia, but this is not the only living creature that imitates ants, many other species live in the tropics and imitate various individuals of aggressive ants.

1. Spider with a happy face

No kidding. This is a real animal, closely related to the Black Widow spider, which can be found in tropical forests islands of Hawaii. So far there has been no information that it could be dangerous to humans.

The strange patterns on the spider's yellow belly often take the form of a smiling face, although in some individuals the markings are less obvious or even absent altogether. In some spiders of this species, the markings sometimes resemble a frowning face or even a screaming one.

While this is not the only spider with face-like markings, it is certainly the most interesting. Unfortunately, this spider is endangered due to its limited range and decline natural environment a habitat.