Deinopis subrufa
Encyclopedia
Deinopis subrufa is a species of net-casting spiders. It occurs in eastern Australia
and Tasmania
. It is a nocturnal hunter, having excellent eyesight, and hunts using a silken net to capture its prey. They feed on a variety of insects - ants, beetles, crickets and other spiders. They can vary in color from fawn to pinkish brown or chocolate brown. Females are about 25mm, males about 22mm. They are not dangerous to humans.
This species is often found on a few strands of web in forest, woodland and heathland, or on flat surfaces, for example on the outside of houses.
for "fearful" and opis is Greek for "appearance", hence the common name of "Ogre-faced spiders". The species name subrufa is Latin
for "slightly reddish".
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. It is a nocturnal hunter, having excellent eyesight, and hunts using a silken net to capture its prey. They feed on a variety of insects - ants, beetles, crickets and other spiders. They can vary in color from fawn to pinkish brown or chocolate brown. Females are about 25mm, males about 22mm. They are not dangerous to humans.
This species is often found on a few strands of web in forest, woodland and heathland, or on flat surfaces, for example on the outside of houses.
Mating
Males will usually shed their last skin and then seek a suitable female to mate with. They will rest on the outer skirts of the female's web, and will gently pluck the web to show her that they are interested. Once the male has mated with the female, he dies. The female then constructs a globular egg sac, approximately 10-12mm in diameter. It is generally a light brown or fawn color with black specks on it and contains anywhere from 100-200 eggs. It is usually disguised and protected by a leaf. Once the female has constructed the egg sac and laid the eggs, she will usually leave it to its own protection. After around 3 weeks, the young hatch; like most spiders, they eat the egg sac for nutrients.Name
The generic name is derived from deinos GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
for "fearful" and opis is Greek for "appearance", hence the common name of "Ogre-faced spiders". The species name subrufa is Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "slightly reddish".