Little humped spider facts for kids

The Philoponella congregabilis, also known as the little humped spider, is a fascinating spider from Australia. Unlike many spiders, it doesn't use venom to catch its food. Instead, it's a master of spider silk! It wraps its prey tightly in silk, crushing it.

After catching its meal, the spider then spits out special fluid to digest the prey. It then drinks the pre-digested liquid. The name congregabilis means "community dwellers," because these spiders often live together. The name Philoponella suggests they are very hardworking, or "loving labour."

What Does It Look Like?

These spiders are quite small. Male spiders grow up to about 3.5 millimeters long. Females are a bit larger, reaching around 6 millimeters. Their color can vary a lot. Some are a pale cream, while others are a darker orange or brown. A cool feature is the noticeable hump on their back part, called the abdomen.

Their Unique Web

Little humped spiders build webs that might look a bit messy. These are orb webs, which are round, but they are often connected to other webs. Many spiders of the same species live together in these shared web communities.

Their webs are not built straight up and down. Instead, they are usually flat or slightly sloped. You might find lots of bits of leaves or other trash stuck in the communal web. This makes it hard to spot the spiders themselves! These spiders often build their homes in places like under the eaves of houses, on window sills, or inside garages and sheds. In nature, they prefer shady spots like low bushes. They mostly eat small arthropods, which are usually insects.

Where Do They Live?

This spider is originally from New South Wales, Australia. However, it has also made its way to New Zealand. As of early 2021, it is one of 73 spider species that have become established there. Specifically, 50 of these are Australian species. The P. congregabilis spider has been found living in the Christchurch area of New Zealand.

Life Cycle and Reproduction

Female little humped spiders create an egg sac that is about 9 millimeters long. This sac is fairly flat and has an oval shape. Its outer layer is usually grey or brown and feels rough.

The egg sacs hang within the shared community web. They get narrower at the ends and have several pointy parts on the sides. Because of its look, the egg sac can sometimes be mistaken for plant bits or leftover food. Inside, each sac holds around 20 small, round eggs. These eggs are not sticky. Young spiders, called juveniles, stay in the community web for a long time. They often join the group of adult spiders or leave to start their own new colony.

How They Were Named

This spider was first described in 1916 by a scientist named William Joseph Rainbow. He called it Uloborus congregabilis. He found the first specimen in New South Wales. Later, in 1967, another scientist named Pekka T. Lehtinen moved it to the genus Philoponella.

See also

In Spanish: Philoponella congregabilis para niños