Phryganoporus candidus
Encyclopedia
The Foliage webbing spider (Phryganoporus candidus) is a spider widespread, but endemic
in Australia
. It is up to 10 mm long, silvery grey to brown with a pattern of light and dark brown markings on the abdomen
. Unlike most other spiders, P. candidus lives socially
at one stage: Spiderlings live together in a nest built on foliage until they reach the subadult stage. The males even stay into the adult stage and only then leave. This communal nest has an inner retreat area, many entrance holes opening into a network of interconnecting passages, and an outer area made out of cribellate silk for prey capture. One nest can in extreme cases house more than 600 spiders. Nests of this size attract many arthropod
parasites. The species name is derived from Latin candidus "shining white", referring to the color of the legs.
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
in Australia
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...
. It is up to 10 mm long, silvery grey to brown with a pattern of light and dark brown markings on the abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
. Unlike most other spiders, P. candidus lives socially
Social spider
A social spider is a spider species whose individuals form relatively long-lasting aggregations. Whereas most spiders are solitary and even aggressive toward conspecifics, some hundreds of species in several families show a tendency to live in groups, often referred to as colonies, and continue to...
at one stage: Spiderlings live together in a nest built on foliage until they reach the subadult stage. The males even stay into the adult stage and only then leave. This communal nest has an inner retreat area, many entrance holes opening into a network of interconnecting passages, and an outer area made out of cribellate silk for prey capture. One nest can in extreme cases house more than 600 spiders. Nests of this size attract many arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
parasites. The species name is derived from Latin candidus "shining white", referring to the color of the legs.