Ariamnes colubrinus
Ariamnes colubrinus, known as the whip spider,[1] is a common Australian spider belonging to the family Theridiidae.[2] It is found in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
| Ariamnes colubrinus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Whip spider at Chatswood West, Australia | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Theridiidae |
| Genus: | Ariamnes |
| Species: | A. colubrinus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ariamnes colubrinus (Keyserling, 1890) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Argyrodes colubrinus | |
Description
They are long and thin, often resembling a twig. The body length of males is 13 millimetres (0.51 in) and females is 22 mm (0.87 in). Body colour varies from cream, brown or greenish. They are often being found around a metre above the ground, resembling a twig caught in a spider's web.
Their egg sacs are 4 by 3 mm (0.16 by 0.12 in) in size, with a small lip on the base. The egg sac is suspended from a single strong thread. 40 to 50 yellow green eggs per sac, eggs 0.7 mm in diameter.[3]
Hunting
They are often found resting on one or two threads of silk, waiting with a few strands of silk acting as a snare. Once their prey hits the silk, the whip spider descends. The spider then wraps their meal in silk. It mostly eats wandering spiders, most being juveniles, as well as some insects.[1]
References
- "Whip Spider". The Australian Museum. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
- "Theridiidae". World Spider Catalogue.
- Australian Spiders in Colour - Ramon Mascord 1970 SBN 589 07065 7, page 62.