 Introduction:
The Lady Bird Spider used to have the name of Eresus niger
but nowadays it is called Eresus cinnaberinus. It is a member of
the Erisidae family. This spider is very rare and is protected in some
countries. The name "Lady Bird" comes from the appearance of the adult
male seen in this picture. He only gets this colouring at his last
change of skin.Breeding:
The Lady Bird Spider makes a single tube of silk on the ground and lays
her eggs in a cocoon. In the day time, she brings out the cocoon to let
it get warm and returns it to the tube at night.
When the spiders hatch, they stay in the tube all through the
Winter. During this time, they can change their skin up to six times. In
the Spring, the young spiders eat their mother after she dies.
Conclusion: The male
spiders become adult in the Autumn or in the Spring and then start
wandering about looking for mates. The female can stay in the tube for
up to four years.
Pictures by Allessandro Cagnolati from Rome
Information: http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/Erisidae/Erisidae.htm
Information
and pictures were taken from children's projects and where credited to that
child does not claim to be original information. Where possible, permission
to reproduce has been sought. Any infringement of copyright is purely
unintentional.
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