In North America, there are approximately 180 species of orb weaver spiders. Orb weavers are found throughout the world, except for the Arctic and Antarctica. Presence of the web is the most obvious sign of an orb weaver population Distribution Female orb weavers produce one or more egg sacs and each sac may contain up to several hundred eggs. Since the males are small, it is not uncommon for them to become the female's first meal after mating. Male orb weavers are much smaller than females and the male's role in to mate with the female. Typical habitats include areas around night-lights, tree branches, tall grass, weeds, fences, walls and bushes. Orb weavers tend to inhabit locations where there is abundant prey and structures that can support their web. Some of the larger orb weavers may also trap and eat small frogs and humming birds should they venture into the web. Small insects such as flies, moths, beetles, wasps and mosquitoes are examples of insects that make up the spider's diet. Orb weavers are most often noticed by homeowners in the late summer and fall since the adult spiders have attained their largest size and have constructed the largest number of webs. If something non-eatable is trapped, the spider will either just ignore it or remove it from the web and go back to its protected hiding place. If a prey insect is trapped in the web, the trap line vibrates notifying the spider rush to the web, bite and paralyze the prey and wrap it in silk for later consumption. However, the spider remains aware of prey that may become trapped in the web by a trap line of silk that will vibrate and alert the spider if something enters the web. Should the spider move off the web, it will remain nearby and hidden in a protected site such as some rolled up leaves or on the branch of a plant. Since orb weavers are not hunters or wanderers, they will sit in their web or perhaps move off their web and wait for prey to get tangled in their web. This interesting habit is performed in order take in moisture from dew that may have settled on the web and to prevent large animals such as birds from getting caught in the web. Some orb weaver spiders tear down and even consume much of the web's silk as the morning begins to dawn. Orb weavers are typically nocturnal spiders and many species will build or do repair work on their webs at night. Diurnal species exhibit bright colors of yellow or orange along with black markings. Most nocturnal orb weavers are usually brown or gray in color. Some orb-weaver spiders have spiny, smooth, or irregularly shaped abdomens. Many orb weavers are brightly colored, have hairy or spiny legs and a relatively large abdomen that overlaps the back edge of the cephalothorax. Like all other spiders, orb weavers have a cephalothorax (a fused-together head and thorax), abdomen, 8 legs and fang-like mouthparts called chelicera. When observed in their natural habitats, orb weavers will usually be seen hanging head down in their web.
The web of the garden orb weaver spider is very large and can measure up to three feet in diameter.
More specifically, orb weaver webs are made of radial strands of silk that look like the spokes of a wheel with the spokes connected by numerous concentric circular silk strands. In general, orb weavers construct organized, circular grid webs that are similar in shape to webs depicted in Halloween decorations. However, the most observable appearance of orb weavers isn't necessarily their appearance, but the appearance of the large webs they create. In fact, the Orb-weaver spider family, Araneidae, is one of the most variable in size and appearance of all spider families. The orb weaver spider group is comprised of a large number of species thus making it difficult to distinguish them from other spider groups and from each other.
0 kommentar(er)
