100 Species #89: funnel-weaving grass spider

[urbpan]

This funnel-weaving grass spider (Probably Agelenopsissp.) has built its web on the back of the shed, positioning the narrow part of the tunnel under a loose piece of sheet metal. Other spiders of this type are all around the yard--in the rock wall by the driveway, the tall weeds along the small yard fence, and so on.

If you are compiling a list of creatures that live around people and their buildings, this spider is a reliable entry. It is unreliable, however, when it comes to assigning it a common name. I have chosen one that I previously rejected as too cumbersome because it avoids confusion with many other spiders, including Australia's deadly funnel web spider. The funnel-weaving grass spider spins a sheet-like horizontal web with a narrow tunnel hidden in the back. The spider waits in the tunnel for a vibration indicating an insect has fallen in the trap. One imagines that crickets and grasshoppers, flinging themselves into the air willy-nilly, are common prey. Blundering flies, moths, and caddisflies are likely as well.

A slavemaking ant placed into this web was investigated, then deliberately ignored by the spider. I felt a little bad about the trapped ant, but only a little.


"Help meee! YOU BASTARD!"

This type of spider was 365 urban species #265, and was in the Urban Nature Picture for September 3, 2010.

Comments

[deathling.livejournal.com]

I used to put critters in those spider holes too, just never knew what they were called.

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Spiders in general (not the ant-mimics, obviously) tend to reject ants as distasteful.