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Cyclosa conica is a small
spider with no
common name. It is an orb weaver,
and it is easily recognized by the way it strings together the dead
bodies of insects and other debris and hangs it near the centre of its
web. It hides on this string of debris, and its natural coloration
makes it extremely difficult to see until it moves. One of its defences
against
predators is to blend in with this debris and to feign death when
disturbed. These spiders are small. The females range from 5.3 mm. to
7.5 mm., and the males range from 3.6 mm. to 4 mm. It is
an odd looking spider which
has a single tubercle (hump) on the rear of its abdomen and builds a web
with stabilimentum (lines across the centre of the web) which it often
covers in dead insects. This spider can be quite variable in colour and
pattern, however its shape is so distinctive that it is hard to mistake.
The colouring oranges from deep orange to almost white and also green
and brown.
Here's some photos sent in by
viewers.
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