Leaf-curling spider

Leaf-curling spider

What are leaf-curling spiders?

Leaf-curling spiders are small arachnids with long, reddish legs. They have a cream and black pattern on their large abdomens.

Leaf-curling spiders are classified as orb weaving spiders because they weave circular webs. Orb means spherical. They also get the name because they build a leaf shelter in their webs. The leaf is coiled into a silk-lined, hollow tube. 

Their scientific name is Phonognatha graeffei.

Do male and female spiders look different?

Both male and female spiders are the same colour with the only difference being in size. Females are approximately 8 millimetres while males are about 5 millimeters in length.

Where do leaf-curling spiders live?

Leaf curling spiders are mostly found in the eastern states of Australia. They are well adapted to suburban gardens, city parks and forest habitats where there are many flying insects, plenty of leaf litter and ample vegetation from which to hang a web.

What do leaf-curling spiders eat?

Leaf curling spiders feed on the juices of small insects like bees, butterflies, moths, flying beetles and mosquitos. Ants are on the menu too if they are unlucky enough to stumble into the web!

What eats leaf-curling spiders?

Birds and parasitic wasps are the main predators of leaf-curling spiders. Parasitic wasps will paralyse the spiders and drag them back to their nests to be eaten by baby wasps.

Female spiders will often eat male spiders after mating!

How do leaf-curling spiders reproduce and what is their life cycle?

Male leaf-curling spiders live at the opposite end of the leaf until the female is ready to mate. Egg sacs are laid in a different leaf which is hung close by. When hatched, the spiderlings (young spiders) will build tiny orb webs amongst the vegetation. They will use a green leaf to hide in because they are easier to curl. They begin to use brown leaves when they are more mature. 

Leaf-curling spiders live for approximately one year.

How are leaf-curling spiders adapted to their environment?

Hiding away in a dead leaf is a great survival strategy used by leaf-curling spiders. There are many benefits to not being seen by both predators and prey.

Leaf-curling spiders ambush their prey during the day. They are diurnal rather than nocturnal. However they weave new webs at night to avoid daytime predators such as parasitic wasps.

Leaf curling spiders use a silk line to drop to the ground. Once on the ground they look for a suitable leaf to build a shelter. A thread of silk is attached to the leaf and towed back to the web. They coil the leaf or fold it over and seal it closed with silk. The leaf is formed into a vertical tube to hide in. The leaf serves as protection from predators and used to cleverly disguise themselves from flying insects.  

With just their legs resting on the web, leaf curling spiders feel the vibrations of struggling insects caught in the web. They rush out of the leaf to paralyse their prey with a toxic bite. The insects are wrapped in silk and eaten later.

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