Uroctea durandi
| Uroctea durandi | ||||||||||||
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Tent roof spider Uroctea durandi |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Uroctea durandi | ||||||||||||
| ( Latreille , 1809) |
Uroctea durandi is a Mediterranean spider from the family Oecobiidae that builds its web while hanging under large stones. There are two species of the genus Uroctea in Europe.
features
The adult females reach a body length of up to 16 millimeters, the males are significantly smaller. Uroctea durandi is predominantly black in color and has five yellow spots on the back of the body. This makes it unmistakable. The eight eyes are arranged on the top of the head in two semicircles of four eyes each (Fig. 2).
biology
The tent roof-like disc network (Fig. 3) is built hanging under stones and camouflaged with small stones, needles, etc. In the adult it is about 4 cm in diameter and has six arched entrances. The floor of the "tent" consists of a woven carpet. Two long signal threads come out at each opening. If one of these threads is touched by a prey animal, the spider rushes out of the corresponding opening and seizes the prey. It is wrapped in spun threads at lightning speed and then pulled into the woven fabric.
The eggs are laid in the web. The spiderlings that hatch from it stay there for some time and are guarded by their mother.
Occurrence
The spider occurs in the Mediterranean area, mainly in forested areas, but also in sunny stony wastelands.
literature
- Barbara Baehr, Martin Baehr: Which spider is that? A little spider science for everyone Kosmos Verlags-GmbH 1987, ISBN 3-440-05798-4
- Heiko Bellmann : Cosmos Atlas Arachnids of Europe. Kosmos Verlags-GmbH 2001, ISBN 3-440-09071-X
