Explanation of Names
Common name refers to this genus' practice of snaring prey in mid-flight by swinging a silk line with an adhesive blob on the end.
Numbers
Genus includes 48 American species, 15 species in the US, 5 recorded in Texas, 3 in the Lower Rio Grande Valley
Identification
Glistening appearance, like a fresh bird dropping, and pair of lumps on the dorsal surface of the abdomen seem to be genus-wide traits
Range
The Bolas spiders can be found from New Hampshire to Minnesota to the southern states and west to California.
(1)Food
Flying insects; certain species specialize on particular species of moths, to the point of releasing mimics of their pheromones in order to attract prey (virtually all male moths) within capture range.
Life Cycle
When egg sacs hatch they release immature females and *mature* males! Presumably an adaptation to avoid inbreeding. Males are short-lived and much smaller (obviously) than females.
Internet References
comments from Dr. Allen Dean, Texas A&M University, on the TX-Ento listserv -
