Arkys lancearius
Arkys lancearius, the triangular spider,[2] is a common Australian spider belonging to the family Arkyidae.[1] It is an ambush hunter, commonly found resting on leaves and ferns or hanging from just a few threads of silk. The front two pairs of legs are large, suited for grabbing small insects, while the rear pairs of legs are much smaller.[3]
Arkys lancearius | |
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At Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Australia | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Family: | Arkyidae |
Genus: | Arkys |
Species: | A. lancearius |
Binomial name | |
Arkys lancearius Walckenaer, 1837[1] | |
Description and habit
The body length of males is about 5.5 millimetres (0.22 in), while that of females are around 8 millimetres (0.31 in). Body colour varies from yellow or orange to red with pale jewel-like markings on the heart shaped abdomen. Egg sacs are produced in January or February and are a deep pinkish cream colour. They are usually around 8 mm in diameter and are covered in lighter coloured threads. Each sac contains about 70 eggs, each 0.7 mm in diameter.[4]
References
- "Taxon details Arkys lancearius Walckenaer, 1837". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
- "Arkys lancearius Walckenaer, 1837 Common Triangular Spider". Retrieved 2019-04-22.
- Heimer, S. (1984). "Remarks on the spider genus Arcys Walckenaer, 1837, with description of new species (Araneae, Mimetidae)". Entomologische Abhandlungen, Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde Dresden. 47: 155–178.
- Mascord, Ramon (1970). Australian Spiders in Colour. Tuttle. p. 96. ISBN 0730102912.