Nigma walckenaeri
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| iNigma walckenaeri | ||||||||||||||||
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| Nigma walckenaeri (Roewer, 1951) |
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Aranea viridissima |
Nigma walckenaeri is a green, up to 5mm long cribellate spider, the biggest of the family Dictynidae. While most of the body is a bit yellowish, the abdomen is a shining green, which makes it rather distinct and hard to confuse with other species. Males have an elevated head region. Adults occur from August to October, in buildings up to December. These spiders are mostly found in gardens or on walls (often on big leaves such as lilac or feral grapevine), in warmer regions also on forest edges. The green color makes it almost invisible. The spider catches insects, sometimes larger than itself, in its web, which it builds on the surface of leaves. The female hides the up to 7mm long eggsac on a place distant from its retreat.
In Great Britain, it was until 1993 only found from London and the Home Counties. It was possibly originally imported into Kew Gardens.[1]
[edit] Name
The species is named in honor of Charles Athanase Walckenaer.
[edit] References
- Bellmann, H. (1997). Kosmos-Atlas Spinnentiere Europas. (german)
