Really weird spider - Rhomphaea fictilium

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Cobweb Spiders (Theridiidae) » Rhomphaea » Rhomphaea fictilium

Photo#664007

Copyright © 2012 Kyron Basu

Really weird spider - Rhomphaea fictilium -

Cowichan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
June 26, 2012
Size: ~7mm body length

Found hanging from a horizontal thread on the deck. Not sure what this thing is, never seen a spider like him before. At first I thought Tetragnatha because of the build, but as soon as I started photographing him, his odd features became apparent. Spinnerets in the middle of the abdomen, palps "facing outward", the odd eye arrangement (there are eight eyes), and the chelicerae almost look like they're fused into the rest of the head.

He's pretty agile on a web, but very clumsy on the ground. I don't know where to start with this guy. Got him in a cozy container right now, so if any other angles are needed, I can try to get them.

Apologies for the huge barrage of images - just wanted to cover the peculiar features as much as possible.

Images of this individual: tag all

Really weird spider - Rhomphaea fictilium - male

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Contributed by Kyron Basu on 26 June, 2012 - 12:31pm
Last updated 26 June, 2012 - 2:56pm

I agree Rhomphaea fictilium

Moved from Spiders.

You can barrage the guide with images at any time. You are making some wonderful additions to the spider pages.

… Lynette Elliott, 26 June, 2012 - 2:56pm

Thanks

I'll release him tonight since he seems to be nocturnal. Would be nice to find a female of the species too, sometime.

Good to know these large submissions aren't unwelcome. :D

… Kyron Basu, 26 June, 2012 - 4:08pm

Reminds us of Rhomphaea

Great series of shots!

… john and jane balaban, 26 June, 2012 - 2:27pm

Thanks a lot!

That looks a lot like him. I didn't even think to check Theridiidae because the eyes looked very different to me, but looking through the images there, I think that's what he must be. Probably Rhomphaea fictilium based on range.

Again, many thanks!

… Kyron Basu, 26 June, 2012 - 2:35pm

Spinnerets

Maybe the shape of the abdomen is just strange, and the place the spinnerets are at is really the anatomical end of the abdomen?

… Kyron Basu, 26 June, 2012 - 1:47pm

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