Unidentified

Comments & ID Thoughts

5 of 7

This comic is for Vonpaulus, who introduced me to the incredible Argyrodes and got me started learning about them. Their silvery bodies are particularly stunning in color, for which I will refer you to Vonpaulus's excellent photograph*.

Argyrodes is a genus in Family Theridiidae, the Cobweavers. Spiders in Genus Argyrodes are also called Dewdrop Spiders. They are kleptoparasites of orb-weavers, lurking at the fringes of their hosts' webs. Some glean small insects ignored by the host; others steal wrapped food bundles or feed on freshly caught insects alongside the host. Some may even attack the host, especially during a molt, when the host is at its most vulnerable.

Argyrodes are primarily associated with Nephila and Trichonephila, but are also observed with Orb-weavers from Genera Araneus, Argiope, and Neoscona. I have depicted them here with Trichonephila clavipes, the Golden Silk Orb-weaver, which is an impressive creature in its own right.

*Vonpaulus's Argyrodes:
https://spiderid.com/picture/119579/

Disclaimer: These Argyrodes are different individuals, possibly even different species.

Reference images:

First panel:
https://bugguide.net/node/view/346955

Second panel:
https://bugguide.net/node/view/1589752

Third panel:
https://bugguide.net/node/view/346957

Thank you, Vonpaulus, for your diligence as a spider helper, your eagerness to learn, and your contribution to SpiderID.

• Submitted by: 
  
  helper-harvestman
• Submitted: Dec 6, 2020
• Photographed: Dec 6, 2020
• Spider: Unidentified
• Location: Moscow, Idaho, United States
• Spotted Outdoors: High foliage (includes trees and tree trunks)
• Found in web?: Yes
• Attributes: