Spider with underwater houses
Description:
Argyroneta aquatica is commonly called the diving bell spider.
All spiders need to breath air, but some spiders can survive for a
while underwater due to a really cool trick. Spider 'hairs' (really called
setae) are hydrophobic which enables some spiders to surround
themselves in a bubble of air and and swim underwater. Diving bell spiders are
unique mostly because of their habit of living almost entirely under water.
They construct bell shaped webs which they anchor to the floor of a stagnant
body of water. This bell is full of air and serves as a home base. Diving bell
spiders also carry large bubbles of air between their legs. When oxygen
levels are low they take a trip to the surface and get a refill.
Occasionally they leave their bell to catch small prey items which
run into their submarine home. When males are mature they build a bell web on
the side of a female's bell webs and tunnel into her home to breed. The female
lays the eggs inside her bell and the offspring are born underwater.
Distribution:
Diving bell spiders inhabit stagnant water sources in the palaerctic region.
Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Cybaeidae
Genus: Argyroneta
Species: Argyroneta
aquatica
Image Links:
No comments:
Post a Comment