Sheetweb spider (Cambridgea foliata)

Revision as of 16:44, 24 September 2019 by Maintenance script (talk | contribs) (Imported from text file)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Suborder: Araneomorphae
Superfamily: Lycosoidea
Family: Stiphidiidae
Genus: Cambridgea
Species: C. foliata
Binominal name: Cambridgea foliata
Common name: Bush spider, Sheetweb spider.

In New Zealand, the largest species of the Cambridgea genus is Cambridgea foliate which may have a palm-sized leg span. C. foliata have long legs relative to their body size and the males of have very large jackknife chelicerae (the fangs).
They are common throughout New Zealand and their webs can be seen in most of our native bush. Cambridgea foliata is known to produce a horizontal mist-like web that is almost a metre across. During the day the spiders will be rarely seen because they hide out of sight in a tubular retreat on the edge of their net only emerging once darkness falls. At night, the spider will hang from the underside of the sheet web, waiting for insects to fall in. When an insect is trapped the spider immobilises the prey by biting through the web.
At night male Cambridgea foliate looking for a mate often enter houses and buildings, fall and get trapped in basins and baths.

A large male sheet web spider found wandering at nightSpider Sheetweb.JPG

A male with his swollen pedipalps
Sheet web spider Cambridgea foliata -002.JPG

A male spider.See swollen pedipalps
Bush Spider (Cambridgea foliata).JPG

A male Cambridgea foliata in his web. It is in a typical habitat for this species, under patio decking.
1-Male Sheetweb spider (Cambridgea foliata).jpg

A female in her web. Her pedipalps are not swollen at the tips like the males are.
1-Cambridgea foliata female .jpg

The head of a male
Sheetweb spider-2.JPG 

Photo of a male with fangs folded.  NB The males swollen pedipalps (feelers) bottom right.Spider Sheetweb.JPG

Fangs extended
Fangs sheetweb spider.JPG

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/