Thief spider
| Thief spider | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thief spider ( Argyrodes argyrodes ), female in the web of a wasp spider ( Argiope bruennichi ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Argyrodes argyrodes | ||||||||||||
| ( Walckenaer , 1841) |
The thief spider ( Argyrodes Argyrodes ) is a web spider from the family of theridiidae (Theridiidae). Like the superordinate genus, the species receives its German trivial name from its diet. She served on the prey of genuine web spiders (Araneidae).
features
The thief spider, like many crested web spiders, has a rather short body length of four to six millimeters, but, like all species of the genus, differs from the other members of the family in the conically raised and triangular-looking opisthosoma (abdomen). This property is even more pronounced in the female than in the male. Also noticeable in the male is the bubble-like raised and double-lobed head part. The anterior tip contains glands for a secretion that is used during mating. Between these two corners there is a deep pit on each side of the head. The basic color of the species is dark brown, but the coloration varies between the sexes. In the female, the prosoma and sternum are brown in color. The same applies to the legs of the female, with the first pair of legs being significantly longer than the others. The opisthosoma of the female appears silvery and has a brown medial stripe at the front, which in turn is expanded with two brown spots towards the top. The underside of the opisthosoma is brown and has silver spots. The male has a black sternum and a far less silvery opisthosoma than the female. In addition, all legs are the same length here.
Occurrence
The distribution area of the thief spider extends from the Mediterranean to West Africa , with the species also occurring in the Seychelles . In its range, the species lives in particularly dry and bushy places. Particularly impenetrable thicket of prickly pear cacti is preferred. According to its way of life, the thief spider can often be found in the webs of real orb web spiders (Araneidae).
Hazard and protection
The thief spider is not rare, especially in the southern part of its habitat, and is therefore not protected.
Way of life
.jpg)
The thief spider owes its name to its unusual way of life for spiders. The species prefers to stay in the webs of real orb web spiders, most often in those of the Opuntia spider ( Cyrtophora citricola ). Due to its small size, it is hardly noticed by the network owner. The thief spider exploits this to avail itself of the prey of the net owner.
Reproduction
Mating also takes place in the other spiders' nets. The male approaches the female with a trembling body and with plucking signals on the net. This then approaches the male and, with its chelicerae, grips the two pit-like depressions on the male's prosoma, which now secretes a secretion with the aid of the glands located there, which presumably serves to stimulate or soothe the female. During the subsequent mating, which lasts for several hours, the male alternately inserts his bulbs into the female's spermathec . A change usually takes place more than 100 times. In order to prevent mating with other males, after mating, the latter uses the Bulbi secretion drops on the partner's sperm library, which solidify into a massive plug after weaning. Shortly after mating, the female produces a distinctive and spherical egg cocoon. This is hung on a thin thread next to the safety net and is provided with a tube-like opening at the bottom through which the young spiders can leave the cocoon after hatching. The adult animals can be found almost all year round.
Systematics
First describer Charles Athanase Walckenaer classified the thief spider in 1841 as a canopy spider with the name Linyphia argyrodes . Eugène Simon classified the species in his first description of the genus of the thief spiders in 1864, where it was first named Argyrodes epeirae . The same author first introduced the current name Argyrodes argyrodes in 1881 , but it was not until 1977 that it gradually became established under Pierre LG Benoit after several changes of name . The thief spider is the type of the genus.
gallery
Further microscopy of the glandular organs
Cross section of the abdomen of the thief spider
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Heiko Bellmann: The cosmos spider guide. Over 400 species in Europe. Kosmos Naturführer, Kosmos (Franckh-Kosmos), 2nd edition, 2016, p. 92, ISBN 978-3-440-14895-2 .
- ↑ The Thief Spider on the website of "araneae Spiders of Europe" ( Link ).
- ↑ a b c The Thief Spider in the World Spider Catalog ( Link ).
