Textrix denticulata | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Family: | Agelenidae |
Genus: | Textrix |
Species: | T. denticulata |
Binomial name | |
Textrix denticulata | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Textrix denticulata, the toothed weaver, [2] is a funnel web spider of the family Agelenidae found in much of Europe. It was described by the French entomologist Guillaume-Antoine Olivier in 1789. An older name coined by Martini & Goeze in 1778, Aranea cruciger, has been declared a nomen oblitum, allowing Olivier's later name to stand. [1]
The male Textrix denticulata is similar to the female in general appearance. The carapace is dark brown with a light median band. The head is narrow, with steep sides, not unlike wolf spiders of the genus Pardosa . The abdomen is dark brown with a light horse-shoe shaped marking towards the anterior which breaks down into a series of light spots towards the posterior. There are vague, somewhat reddish chevrons due to the relatively thinner coating of hairs between the horseshoe mark and the posterior spotting which causes the background colour of the abdomen to be visible. The legs are yellow-brown with dark annulations and rings of white hairs. The body length of the female is 7–8 mm, that of the slightly smaller male 6–7 mm. [3]
Textrix denticulata builds small funnel webs [4] that end in a tube where the spider sits until it detects its prey touch the web when it leaves the tube and subdues the prey. [5] It is mostly active at night. [6] Both sexes are mainly found from early to mid-summer but females can be found at most times of the year and males have also been recorded in September. [7] The yellow egg sac contains 50-60 eggs and is covered with soil particles and stones and secured under rocks and in crevices. [5]
Textrix denticulata is found in sunny edges of forests, on rocks and on walls and sometimes in houses. [2] In Great Britain it is found on stony ground, in rocky crevices, on low bushes and under bark, both inland and in coastal areas. Here too it is equally common in houses and on some disused stony industrial sites. [7]
Textrix denticulata is widespread in Northern Europe, [8] except the northern and eastern part. [6] In Great Britain this spider is common in the north, less so in the south, and very rare in the southeast. [7]
The hobo spider is a member of the family of spiders known colloquially as funnel web spiders, but not to be confused with the Australian funnel-web spider. Individuals construct a funnel-shaped structure of silk sheeting and lie in wait at the small end of the funnel for prey insects to blunder onto their webs. Hobo spiders sometimes build their webs in or around human habitations. The hobo spider lays its eggs in September and they hatch during late spring. After the male hobo spider mates it dies.
The Agelenidae are a large family of spiders in the suborder Araneomorphae. Well-known examples include the common "grass spiders" of the genus Agelenopsis. Nearly all Agelenidae are harmless to humans, but the bite of the hobo spider may be medically significant, and some evidence suggests it might cause necrotic lesions, but the matter remains subject to debate. The most widely accepted common name for members of the family is funnel weaver.
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Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all orders of organisms. Spiders are found worldwide on every continent except Antarctica, and have become established in nearly every land habitat. As of November 2023, 51,673 spider species in 136 families have been recorded by taxonomists. However, there has been debate among scientists about how families should be classified, with over 20 different classifications proposed since 1900.
Plexippus paykulli is a species of jumping spider. It is native to south east Asia but has spread to other parts of the world and globe. In the United States it is called the pantropical jumping spider. It is usually associated with buildings and may be found near light sources catching insects attracted by the light. It is named in honor of Gustaf von Paykull.
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