Social spider
A social spider is a species of spider which lives in a group. Most spiders are solitary, but a few species in tropical habitats live in large groups.[1]
This social organisation has evolved independently a number of times. At least 23 species in eight families are known.[2]
These spiders have not developed a caste system, and so they are not classed as eusocial. The first one was discovered over a century ago by Eugène Simon (30 April 1848 – 17 November 1924). This French naturalist described over 4,000 species of spider.[3]
Social Spider Media
A collective web of Agelena consociata in Uganda.
Stegodyphus sp. colony
References
- ↑ Goldman, James G. 2016. Meet the spiders that have formed armies 50,000 strong. BBC Earth. [1] Includes excellent photographs.
- ↑ Agnarsson, I.. Sociality in theridiid spiders: Repeated origins of an evolutionary dead end. Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution 60 (11) (2006). p. 2342–2351. doi:10.1111/j.0014-3820.2006.tb01869.x.
- ↑ Platnick, Norman I.. Spider systematics: past and future. Zootaxa 3683 (5) (2013). p. 595–600. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3683.5.8.
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