Cambridgea foliata explained

Cambridgea foliata, commonly known as New Zealand sheet-web spider, is a species of spider in the family Desidae.^[1] These nocturnal, arboreal spiders are endemic to the North Island of New Zealand and build large horizontal sheet-webs with a large number of knock-down threads.^[2]

Description

C. foliata have a reddish-brown cephalothorax and greyish yellow abdomen. While males and females of this species are of a similar size with a cephalothorax width of approximately 5.8mm, males have significantly longer chelicerae compared to females.^[3] While males of other Cambridgea species possess a stridulatory organ on the dorsal surface of the pedicel and abdomen,^[4] it is absent in male C. foliata^[5] .

Contest behaviour

In the summer season, mature males depart their natal webs in search of females, sometimes wandering into people's houses'.^[6] When they find a female's web, they will use their first pair of legs and chelicerae to defend the web and female from any other males which may intrude, with the largest males tending to be most successful at defending webs.

Notes and References

1. Forster, R.R.; Wilton, C.L. 1973. The spiders of New Zealand. Part 4, Agelenidae, Stiphidiidae, Amphinectidae, Amaurobiidae, Neolanidae, Ctenidae, Psechridae. Otago Museum Bulletin, 4.
2. Book: Spiders of New Zealand : annotated family key & species list. Paquin. Pierre. 2010. Manaaki Whenua Press. Vink. C.J.. Dupérré. N.. 9780478347050. Lincoln, N.Z.. 608025036.
3. Walker. Leilani A.. Holwell. Gregory I.. 2018. The role of exaggerated male chelicerae in male–male contests in New Zealand sheet-web spiders. Animal Behaviour. 139. 29–36. 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.02.020. 49587111. 0003-3472.
4. Jocqué. Rudy. 2005-08-01. Six stridulating organs on one spider (araneae, zodariidae): is this the limit?. Journal of Arachnology. 33. 2. 597–603. 10.1636/04-107.1. 56283033. 0161-8202.
5. Forster, R.R.; Wilton, C.L. 1973. The spiders of New Zealand. Part 4, Agelenidae, Stiphidiidae, Amphinectidae, Amaurobiidae, Neolanidae, Ctenidae, Psechridae. Otago Museum Bulletin, 4: p. 148.
6. Book: Crowe, Andrew. Which New Zealand spider? : including their eight-legged cousins: the harvestmen, false scorpions, mites, ticks and sea spiders. 2007. Penguin. 9780143006435. North Shore, N.Z.. 166343598.