- Paige B.
Weekly Wildlife: Wrap-Around Spider (Dolophones Conifera)
Updated: Jun 4, 2020
Just the other day I came across an article about unique animals and plants that exist in the world. While all were interesting, this creature shocked me and, well, truthfully kind of creeped me out. I bet they're the undefeated champions of hide and go seek though.
Where in the world?
Distribution: Western Australia
Habitat: Trees
What an interesting character
Distinguishing Traits
- Length:
Female: 0.35 in (9 mm)
Male: 0.19-0.23 in (5-6 mm)
- Body:
Concave underbelly allows them to flatten and wrap around tree branches
Flat abdomen with discs make them look like a shield
- Coloring: Their brown body helps them blend in with tree bark
We are family
- Class: Archnida
- Order: Araneae
- Family: Araneidae
- Genus: Dolophones
- Species: Dolophones conifera
Facts of life
- Egg sac is yellow and can hold up
to a hundred babies
- After the spiderlings hatch -yes young spiders are called spiderlings - they remain together as a family before eventually leaving
- They're not poisonous
- The discs on their body look like spots giving them the name leopard spider as well
Conservation Connection
- Status is unknown
- Threats:
Birds
Wasps
Dolophones conifera. (2019, September 15). Retrieved April 24, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolophones_conifera
Ghosh, Mumpi (2019, August 8). Wrap-Around. Retrieved April 24, 2020, from https://spideridentifications.com/wrap-around.html
Unbelievable Facts. (2016, April 8). Photograph of Wrap-around spider resting on a twig goes viral. Retrieved April 24, 2020, from https://unbelievable-facts.com/2016/04/wrap-around-spider.html
Wrap-Around Spider Facts, Identifications &Pictures. (2020, February 13). Retrieved April 24, 2020, from https://spideridentifications.com/wrap-around.html