Tag: ULOBORIDAE

Hackled orb-weaver spiders. This family of small spiders is especially unique in that they lack venom glands, relying on their silk to incapacitate their prey and spit up digestive enzymes to liquefy their food. They are medically insignificant to humans.

PHILOPONELLA SP.

PHILOPONELLA SP.

by anikekirsten
Adult female Philoponella sp.

Taxon:

  • Class: Arachnida
  • Order: Araneae
  • Infra-Order: Araneamorph (true spiders)
  • Family: Uloboridae
  • Genus: Philoponella
  • Species: Philoponella sp.

Female

Around 5mm in body length. Leg span of approximately 10mm diagonally.

Cephalothorax:
Carapace whitish with posterior margins raised slightly. Sternum shield-shaped, darkly mottled. Pedipalps pale.

Abdomen:
Abdomen oval with two shoulders dorsal middle and two smaller pairs of humps posterior. Dorsal whitish with dark spot anterior under the curve that rests on carapace. Ventral whitish with thick darker band down centre and a thick dark stripe either side. Spinerettes dark.

Legs:
First leg pair significantly long, all legs whitish. 1, 4, 2, 3.

Male

Unknown.

Adult female Philoponella sp.

ABOUT THE GENUS

Philoponella spiders are a pantropical genus with few found in Africa and only 2 described species occurring in South Africa. Several species live semi-communally, a rare trait among spiders. Not much is known about the South African species and there may be several as yet unknown to science. This species, specifically is undescribed, but has been recorded in several areas.