Uloborus walckenaerius
| Fluffy Hackled Orb-Web Spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Uloboridae |
| Genus: | Uloborus |
| Species: | U. walckenaerius
|
| Binomial name | |
| Uloborus walckenaerius | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Uloborus walckenaerius, also known as the feather-legged spider, is a cribellate spider in the family Uloboridae. Like all spiders in this family, they do not have venom glands and immobilize their prey with over 140 m of thread. They are named in honor of Charles Athanase Walckenaer.
It is commonly known as the fluffy hackled orb-web spider.[3]
Description
Adult females have a body length of 3.5–6 mm (0.14–0.24 in), males 3–4 mm (0.12–0.17 in). They have a dark grey prosoma, covered with white hairs, leaving some dark bands uncovered. They have eight eyes, arranged in two almost parallel rows of four, with the anterior lateral eyes on the front corners of the head. The abdomen is greyish-white in colour, with a continuation of the pattern on the carapace. It bears a brown median line, with alternating white and brown bands on either side. There are fluffy white tufts of hair on the white bands, which are very distinct from the side. The legs range from dark grey-brown to reddish-brown, with faint, white annulations. The front two pairs of legs are significantly longer than the rear pairs.[4]
Distribution and habitat
Uloborus walckenaerius has a widespread distribution throughout the Palearctic region and has been introduced to Cape Verde, Saint Helena, and South Africa.[2]
The spider lives in warm, open terrain, like heathland, and weaves horizontal cribellate orb webs close to the ground. A stabilimentum is sometimes present, and the spider hangs beneath the hub.[5]
References
- ^ Latreille, P.A. (1806). Genera crustaceorum et insectorum. Vol. 1. Paris. pp. 1–302.
- ^ a b "Taxon details Uloborus walckenaerius Latreille, 1806", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2025-10-05
- ^ Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Uloboridae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 21. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162209. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
- ^ Bee, Lawrence; Oxford, Geoff; Smith, Helen (2020). Britain's Spiders: A Field Guide (2nd ed.). Woodstock: Princeton University Press. pp. 87, 156. ISBN 9780691204741.
- ^ "The Nearctic Spider Database: Uloborus Walckenaerius Latreille 1806". Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved March 3, 2022.