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Saturday, 11 May 2019

11-5-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - TROPICAL TENT SPIDER (Cyrtophora citricola)


This spider is one of the few species to exhibit a variable level of sociality. C. citricola can be seen in colonies, which may have arisen due to reduced predation. Within these colonies, each spider has its own web that is linked to other spiders through communal webbing. The spider webs are often built in large matrices next to one another and can span entire trees. The spider usually peacefully coexists with other spiders in the colony. However, at times the spider may have to ward off other spiders in the colony that may try and claim its web.

C. citricola is nocturnal, only performing necessary tasks during the day. During the day, it remains idle and tries to stay out of sight from predators. Most of its foraging and prey capture happen at night.

C. citricola's color and size can vary greatly. Many spiders sport a black and white pattern while others are brown. Males often appear black. Male and female spiders have a sexual dimorphism. The body length in females normally reaches 10 millimetres (0.39 in), while males are only 3 millimetres (0.12 in) long.