Two-spined spider facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Two-spined spider |
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The Two-spined spider (its scientific name is Poecilopachys australasia) is a fascinating creature. It's a type of orb-weaving spider. These spiders are originally from Australia. However, they have also been seen in New Zealand since the 1970s. This spider is active at night. It builds a round, cart-wheel-shaped web. Then, it eats its web in the morning! During the day, you can often find female spiders hiding under the leaves of citrus trees.
Where Do Two-Spined Spiders Live?
Two-spined spiders come from Australia. They were first spotted in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1971. Since then, they have spread across New Zealand. They are now common in the northern part of the South Island. You can even find them as far south as Christchurch.
What Does a Two-Spined Spider Look Like?
Female Two-spined spiders are about 8 mm long. That's about the size of a small button! They are very brightly colored. The top part of their body (called the abdomen) is yellow and olive green. It has two white, horn-like 'spines'. These spines give the spider its common name. The front of their abdomen has a wide band of cream and yellow. The back has a cool V-shaped mark against a red and yellow background.
Male spiders are much smaller. They are only about 2.5 to 3 mm long. This makes them harder to find. Males do not have the horns or bright colors of the females. Because they look so different, scientists first thought they were a different species! They were even given a different name, Cyrtarachne setosa.
How Do Two-Spined Spiders Reproduce?
Scientists once watched four male spiders gather around a female in a garden. The female gently touched one male with her legs. However, they didn't see the actual transfer of sperm.
Female spiders are often seen guarding their eggs. They make a small, papery, brown egg sac. It is shaped like a spindle.
