Stegodyphus dumicola
Stegodyphus dumicola, commonly known as African social spider, is a species of spider of the family Eresidae or velvet spider family. It is native to Central and southern Africa.
| African social spider | |
|---|---|
_(6607373097)%2C_crop1.jpg) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Eresidae |
| Genus: | Stegodyphus |
| Species: | S. dumicola |
| Binomial name | |
| Stegodyphus dumicola Pocock, 1898 | |
This spider has been studied living in large colonies or family groups, in unkempt and messy webs. As the females mature slowly, only about 40% of them get to mate. The other 60% have been dubbed "virgin spiders" as they share in childcare duties alongside their sisters. The female feeds instars of the second stage by regurgitation and by providing them with captured prey, while in final instars, the mother female devotes her life to the babies which use her body fluids until she dies. The males of the species die shortly after mating.[1]
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females on web _nest_(6607340075).jpg)
nest with females on web
References
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