Eratigena

Picture ID 58704

Submitted by:
xood
Submitted: Apr 30, 2019
Photographed: Apr 30, 2019
Spider: Eratigena
Location: Düsseldorf, Germany
Spotted Outdoors: Man-made structure (building wall, fences, etc.)
Found in web?: Yes
Attributes: Dorsal

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ItsyBitsy

Moderator

April 30, 2019 9:27 am

Giant House Spider, Eratigena sp.

Xood

Photo Owner

Reply to ItsyBitsy

April 30, 2019 10:33 am

Thank you. I looked at a few spiders, also the house spider. But they all looked kind of the same to me. For some reason it only has 7 legs, I did not touch it. So no idea where the last one is.
I was not really in the mood to move my camera closer, but it is interesting to see the partial hair it has on legs and body.

TangledWeb

Moderator

Reply to Xood

April 30, 2019 9:28 pm

The missing legs thing is common for spiders. They evolved the ability to break off their own legs at particular spots with minimal fluid loss. The spider just has to jerk the leg toward itself to break it. Stubby legs can grow back in the spot. It is useful because they go through molts as they grow and a leg can get stuck in the shed molt. That would be fatal if there wasn’t a way to break free. It also helps them escape if a predator grabs a leg. The hairs are part of what is used in telling… Read more »