Agelena labyrinthica
Labyrinth Spider on Web
The Labyrinth spider ( Agelena labyrinthica ) is a spider of the family of funnel spiders ( Agelenidae ). She was elected to the spider of the year 2011.
- 3.1 lifestyle and prey capture
- 3.2 Reproduction
- 4.1 Notes and references
Features
The labyrinth spider reaches a body length of up to 14 millimeters than females, the males are up to 12 millimeters in size. The abdomen ( opisthosoma ) is gray -brown. The gray hair forms a pattern of slightly obliquely backwards strips. In older animals, the use hair from growing so that they then act as brown pups. The front body ( prosoma ) is yellow brown to reddish brown. Due to the gray middle and Randbehaarung so two wide longitudinal stripes arise on the front body. The spinnerets of the spider labyrinth are formed particularly long and conspicuous. The legs correspond in color to the rear body and have no special pattern.
Similar Species
Allagelena gracilens ( ex. Agelena gracilens ) the labyrinth spider is extremely similar. However, it is less common, is much smaller, its smaller funnel-web builds often in higher vegetation, and adult animals occur a little later on in the year.
Occurrence and distribution
Labyrinth spiders prefer drier places outdoors with low vegetation, such as dry grass, heather, wasteland, roadsides and bushes. It is almost always common in suitable habitats. The labyrinth spider is common throughout the Palearctic and not rare.
Behavior
Lifestyle and prey capture
Like most funnel spider builds the labyrinth spider a tightly woven funnel web with a hideout near the center of network. The network can reach a diameter of 50 centimeters and is built directly on the ground or only a small amount. The spider usually waits at or before the slip angle for prey insects that travel on the net or fall for it. If a prey is perceived by the shock of the network, then the spider runs on the network quickly to loot and captivates them with spider silk. If the insect is immobilized, it is paralyzed by a poison bite, transported into the hideout and eaten there.
In case of faults, the labyrinth spider pulls back to the hideout and can escape through the open back funnel in an emergency.
Reproduction
Mating occurs in midsummer. The male enters the power of the female. Is this ready to mate, so it remains at the funnel entrance. The male then grasps the female and performs the pedipalps in the Epigyne one. After mating, the female wakes up from his rigid, and the male escapes from the net. Not infrequently, however, it is obtained from the females and how caught and eaten other prey.
The female builds in late summer their network to a cocoon. This is fixed with fixed spin silk in vegetation. In this cocoon to hibernate the eggs and spiderlings. They leave the nest next spring.