Periegops suterii facts for kids

Periegops suterii is a special kind of spider. It belongs to the Periegops family. This spider is found only in the South Island of New Zealand. When an animal lives only in one place, we call it endemic.

Discovering the Periegops suterii

Scientists give every living thing a special name. This helps them study and understand different species. The Periegops suterii spider was first described in 1892. A scientist named Arthur T Urquhart gave it its first name. He found these spiders near Christchurch in a place called Port Hills.

Another scientist, Eugene Simon, also described a similar spider in 1893. He called it Periegops hirsutus. Later, in 1935, a scientist named Elizabeth Bangs Bryant studied these spiders more closely. She realized that the spider Arthur Urquhart found actually belonged to the Periegops group. Finally, in 1946, scientists agreed that P. hirsutus was the same spider as P. suterii. So, Periegops suterii became its official name.

What Does Periegops suterii Look Like?

Like all spiders in the Periegops family, P. suterii has six eyes. Most spiders have eight eyes, so six is quite unique!

The front part of its body, called the carapace, is a reddish-orange color. Towards the back, it becomes more orange. Its belly, or abdomen, has a cool black-brown pattern that looks like zigzags.

Its first pair of legs are orange-brown with lighter orange tips. The other legs are yellowish-brown. They are darker closer to its body. The spider's mouthparts, called Chelicerae, are a reddish-brown color. Male spiders are about 6.6 millimeters long. Female spiders are a bit bigger, reaching about 8.1 millimeters in length.

Where Periegops suterii Lives

The Periegops suterii spider likes to live in forests. It prefers places with soil that drains water well. It also likes areas with lots of fallen leaves on the ground. You might find these spiders hiding under logs, rocks, or piles of leaves.

They live in special types of forests. These include podocarp forests and beech forests. You can only find P. suterii in certain parts of the Canterbury area. These include Banks Peninsula and Riccarton Bush. Even within these places, they are not found everywhere. They live in small, separate groups. This suggests they might be a very old type of spider.

Periegops suterii Behaviour

Periegops suterii spiders do not build webs to catch their food. Instead, they are active hunters. They likely hunt at night, which means they are nocturnal. They are probably very fast movers!

Even though they don't build hunting webs, they still use their silk. They use silk as a "drag line." This is like a safety rope they leave behind as they move. They also use silk to build cozy little shelters where they can rest.

Scientists have sometimes found two or three male spiders with one female. This might mean that the female spider has a special way to attract males.