Spinning With A Smile: Behavior And Habitat
There are a few species in the crested web spider family that always seem happy. In this article we would like to tell you more about the spiders with a smile.
The group of spiders with a smile
In this family, which consists of more than 2000 species, there are some poisonous and dangerous species, such as the black widow, but there are also others known as spiders with a smile . That’s because her body looks like a smiling face.
The most famous of these spiders with a smile is called the Theridion grallator. She lives in Hawaii and stays there mainly in the rainforests over 300 m above sea level of O’ahu, Moloka’i and Maui.
This spider can grow up to 5 mm long and each one has its own drawing on its back. Most of them wear their happy grins, but no two are the same and the pattern even differs from island to island.
It is believed that this is how they protect themselves from birds, because they are their only natural enemy there. They also have another kind of camouflage: during the day they hide under leaves and spin their tiny webs there, which they later use to catch food.
But not only that, because the spider webs also help them to attract a partner during the mating season. You should also know that mating takes place at night and that the males then die.
Spiders with a smile and their interesting names
While this Hawaiian spider is the most famous, others have been spotted in the Caribbean islands and South America.
Scientists and researchers at the University of Vermont (USA) decided to give the spider species names of famous people. In doing so, they want to honor those who have stood up for human rights and nature conservation.
The spiders with a smile live in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Lesser Antilles, and in Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Florida, and South Carolina.
More smiling spiders
Aside from the newly discovered ones in the Caribbean and South America, there are other species of spider that might be thought to have a face on their back.
1. Spider with the cat face
Its scientific name is Araneus gemmoides and it is a web spider that lives in the western United States.
It may be hair-raising, but it is not toxic at all. Females are larger than males, but they don’t grow an inch either.
2. Vegetable garden spider
The Leucauge venusta is at home on the east coast of the USA and lives there not only in gardens, but also in cities and in the country.
It has reddish-orange spots on a black background that resemble two eyes and a smiling mouth. Although it looks similar to the black widow, it is not poisonous.
3. Golden crab spider
This spider seems frightened rather than happy. It is a small, discreet species. It disguises itself by looking like a flower and grabs its prey – which also includes bees – very quietly and secretly.
