Hersilia sericea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Common Long-spinneret Tree Spider | |
|---|---|
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| Female | |
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| Female | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Hersiliidae |
| Genus: | Hersilia |
| Species: | H. sericea |
| Binomial name | |
| Hersilia sericea | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Hersilia sericea is a species of spider in the family Hersiliidae.[2] It is an African endemic and is commonly known as the common Long-spinneret tree spider.[3]
Hersilia sericea is found in Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and South Africa.[2] In South Africa, the species is widely distributed across eight of the nine provinces.[3]
Habitat
The species occurs in multiple biomes including Forest, Grassland, Nama Karoo, Savanna, and Thicket biomes at altitudes ranging from 4 to 1,471 m above sea level.[3]
It has also been recorded from agricultural areas including avocado, citrus, grapefruit, and macadamia orchards, as well as urban environments.[3]
Description
female
female
female
female
Hersilia sericea is known from both sexes. Like other members of the genus Hersilia, it exhibits a flattened body form and extremely long posterior spinnerets.[3]
Ecology
This species is a free-living bark dweller found on various tree species. It does not appear to prefer specific tree species for habitation, although tree trunk size may influence habitat selection. Females construct flat, oval-shaped egg sacs on tree trunk surfaces, camouflaged with bark fragments. The female guards these eggs in an upside-down position until emergence. Females have been collected throughout the year, while males are found from April through December. Some specimens have been collected from walls in built-up areas.[3]
