Idiosoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Idiosoma |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Idiopidae |
| Genus: | Idiosoma Ausserer, 1871 |
| Type species | |
| I. sigillatum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1870)
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| Species | |
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29, see text |
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Idiosoma is a group of amazing Australian trapdoor spiders that have a special kind of armor! They were first described by a scientist named Anton Ausserer in 1871. These spiders are known for their unique bodies. The name Idiosoma comes from ancient Greek words: idios means "individual" or "unique," and soma means "body." This name perfectly describes their special abdomen.
The skin on the back part of their body, called the opisthosoma, is very hard. It's flat at the end and has deep lines along its sides. This tough skin helps the spider in two main ways. First, it stops them from losing too much water in their dry homes. Second, it acts like a plug to protect them from enemies. This special way of plugging up their burrow is called phragmosis. It's like they use their own body as a door!
Even with their tough armor, some tiny parasitic wasps have found a way to attack them. These wasps have very thin bodies and long, thin stingers called ovipositors. They can lay their eggs on the softer skin at the front of the spider's abdomen, where it's not as protected.
Life Cycle and Hunting
Idiosoma spiders dig burrows that can be up to 32 centimeters (about 12.5 inches) deep. These deep homes help keep the temperature steady all year round, no matter how hot or cold it gets outside.
To catch food, the spider sets up trip-lines that spread out from the entrance of its burrow. When an ant, beetle, cockroach, millipede, or moth touches a trip-line, the spider quickly rushes out to grab its prey. This is different from many other trapdoor spiders, which usually stay inside their burrows.
When it's time to mate, male Idiosoma spiders actively search for females. Mating happens inside the female's burrow. The female lays her eggs in late spring and early summer. The baby spiders, called spiderlings, hatch in mid-summer. They stay safe inside the burrow until early winter, when the weather becomes more humid.
Types of Idiosoma Spiders
One well-known type is the Black rugose trapdoor spider (Idiosoma nigrum). Females of this species can grow up to 30 millimeters (about 1.2 inches) long. Males are a bit smaller, growing up to 18 millimeters (about 0.7 inches) in body length.
As of May 2019, there are twenty-nine known species of Idiosoma spiders. Most of them are found in Western Australia. Here are some of them:
- Idiosoma arenaceum – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma berlandi – Australia (New South Wales)
- Idiosoma castellum – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma clypeatum – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma corrugatum – Australia (South Australia)
- Idiosoma cupulifex – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma dandaragan – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma formosum – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma galeosomoides – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma gardneri – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma gutharuka – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma incomptum – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma intermedium – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma jarrah – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma kopejtkaorum – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma kwongan – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma manstridgei – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma mcclementsorum – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma mcnamarai – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma montanum – Australia (New South Wales)
- Idiosoma nigrum – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma occidentale – Australia (Western Australia, South Australia)
- Idiosoma planites – Australia (New South Wales)
- Idiosoma rhaphiduca – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma schoknechtorum – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma sigillatum (type) – Australia (Western Australia)
- Idiosoma smeatoni – Australia (South Australia)
- Idiosoma subtriste – Australia (South Australia)
- Idiosoma winsori – Australia (Victoria)
See also
In Spanish: Idiosoma para niños
