| |
Female |
In
resting position, the flattened lichen-coloured body is pressed against
the tree trunk, thus blending perfectly with the surrounding bark,
and casting little or no shadow to betray its presence.
|
Classification:
Family Hersiliidae, Two-Tailed Spiders.
Habitat: Tree trunks in gardens
and jungle fringes.
Female: 8.5-10 mm.
Male: 6-8 mm. |
| Living
almost exclusively on tree trunks or stone walls, they immobilise
their prey by spreading silk while jumping over and running around
it. |
When
alarmed, the spider erects its two long spinnerets and darts to the
opposite side of the tree with a movement so swift that all one can
see is an apparent blurring of a part of the bark.
Two of the spinneretes are disproportionately long and pointed, hence
the name "Two-Tailed Spiders". The head region is elevated
above the rest of the cephalothorax. The body is compressed and legs
are exceedingly long (except the third pair). |
Face
of a male
Two-Tailed Spider |
|
