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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynes » Cobweb Spiders (Theridiidae) » Theridion
Photo#348075
Guarding eggs - Theridion - female
Copyright © 2009 G Whiz

Guarding eggs - Theridion - Female
Alameda County, California, USA
October 31, 2009
Size: ~1/8 in., 3 mm

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Guarding eggs - Theridion - female Guarding eggs - Theridion - female
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Contributed by G Whiz on 31 October, 2009 - 8:18pm
Last updated 30 November, 2009 - 9:49pm

Moved
Moved from Spiders.
… Lynette Schimming, 30 November, 2009 - 9:49pm login or register to post comments

Wow
I can't believe how big those eggs are when compared to the size of the spider. You can sort of see the big, round eggs thru the silk...and wow, I don't know how those could've ever come out of that itty-bitty spider. Just one of those eggs is nearly the size of the spider's whole facial area. Amazing. Mother nature works in mysterious ways.
… Mandy Howe, 1 November, 2009 - 1:08am login or register to post comments

 
I hadn't noticed
that the sac looked like anything but a dense cotton ball, but you're right, the bumps show. Maybe the eggs grow during development?
… G Whiz, 1 November, 2009 - 10:20am login or register to post comments

 
Good question
I'm actually pretty curious about whether they do or not. My first guess would be no, because there's an outer membrane called the chorion that's pretty strong and protects all the inner parts. I will talk to some of the spider people at the Arachnologists' forum and see what they know about it.
… Mandy Howe, 1 November, 2009 - 4:52pm login or register to post comments

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