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Argiope Aurantia (6)
Neuro_Toxin
![Silver Note Writer [C: 0 W: 0 N: 11]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/n-n-s.gif) (53) | Argiope Aurantia
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This is the spider species popularly known as the "Writing Spider" / "Black & Yellow Garden Spider" / Golden Orb Weaver etc . These spiders are famous for the incredible webs they spin ( though she eats her web in the night and weaves a new one next morning ) and they are truely artists of the animal kingdom. This "writing spider" weaves a series of peculiar white patterned "Z"s ,with the silk,towards the centre of her web. This white patterns are known as "Stabilimenta". This spider's web isnt just remarkable for its beauty and strength, but for the way it reflects UV light, because both UV reflecting and non UV reflecting portions are spun on the same web !. Its believed that the UV reflecting Stabilimentum portion attaracts insects towards the web . The writing spider remains absolutely still in her web,with her head down and legs kept in pairs.Once her "lunch" is trapped in the web, she starts her business of "drinking" the prey , as she doesnt have any teeth :). Eventhough she has a fang as one of her mouth parts,it is used to inject the venom into her prey. This venom immobilizes her prey and begins digestion and liqueifaction of the prey, from inside out !. Finally she "draws the meal" with her sucking
stomach. She is no different from the rest of the spider family that ,she devours her mate after they have copulated. However 'Argiope Aurantia' is dangerously unique in the fact that ,they are the only known speceies of spiders whose mate dies during copulation :( . The males of this species are much smaller and has two sperm containing pedipalps.Once he inserts those palps into the sperm receptacles of the female Argiope Aurantia, hes doomed!.He dies in the act,still joined to her.This nature programmed "Kamakaze" act is to ensure that his sperm gets suffient time to fertilize her, before he is being pulled away by other male spiders in the queue :). However,the female does seem to appreciate his ultimate sacrifice as she got a free meal ready :). The fertilized female builds 1 to 3 egg sacks . And that done, she waits n watches till the next season.However she never gets a chance to see her children, as she wud be dead long before her offsprings emerge from their egg sack....
(Compiled from the internet ) |
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