Arachnura scorpionoides is a species of drag tail spider in the family Araneidae, found across several African countries and islands in the western Indian Ocean.[2] It is commonly known as the African scorpion-tail spider.[3]
The species inhabits Fynbos, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, Savanna, and Thicketbiomes, as well as macadamia orchards. It occurs at altitudes ranging from 7 to 1,411 m above sea level.[3]
Arachnura scorpionoides constructs a permanent orb-web with an open hub. The web is suspended at an angle and has a V-shaped section missing from the top. In autumn and winter, females produce a series of woolly brownish egg sacs, which they string together in a line from the centre of the web to fill the missing section. The spider positions itself at the bottom of the egg string.[3]
When disturbed, the female curls her tail up over her back like a scorpion. The front legs are stronger than the rest and are kept close to the body when the spider is alive.[3]
The species name scorpionoides refers to the scorpion-like appearance of the spider.
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Auguste Vinson in 1863 from Madagascar. It has not been revised but is known from both sexes with well-illustrated drawings. Identification is not considered problematic.[3]
References
↑ Vinson, A. (1863). "Aranéides des îles de La Réunion, Maurice et Madagascar". Librairie Classique Eugène Belin, Paris: 291. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.125517.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N.; Webb, P. (2022). The Araneidae of South Africa. Version 2: part 1 (A-C). South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. pp.13–14. doi:10.5281/zenodo.6326922.This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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