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Cyclosa spider
Araneidae, Cyclosa sp.
-26.2559, -49.3523
Field Notes
Description:
Elongated abdomen, ending in three pointed lobes. Total length less than 1cm.
Habitat:
A small wood beside a rural road.
Notes:
"Cyclosa spiders are small spiders with no common name. They are orb weavers, and are easily recognized by the way they string together the dead bodies of insects and other debris and hangs it near the center of their webs. They hide on this string of debris, and their natural coloration makes them extremely difficult to see until they move. One of their defenses against predators is to blend in with this debris and to feign death when disturbed. These spiders are small; the females range from 5.3 mm to 7.5 mm, and the males range from 3.6 mm to 4 mm. The webs of these spiders are characterized by a vertical stripe running down the center. This stripe, or stabilimentum, is composed of dead prey and other debris and is used as a hiding place for the spider. The material in the stabilimentum may also serve as a decoy to mislead predators into attacking the debris, giving the spider time to escape." (Wikipedia)
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