Bolas spider (Mastophora?) - Mastophora phrynosoma

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Orb Weavers (Araneidae) » Bolas Spiders (Mastophora) » Mastophora phrynosoma

Photo#152094

Copyright © 2007 Carmen Champagne

Bolas spider (Mastophora?) - Mastophora phrynosoma -

Athens/ Sandy Creek Nature Center, Clarke County, Georgia, USA
October 2, 2007
Size: 2 cm wide

The first time I saw this amazing spider it was late morning, but I have been back a couple of times and she hasn't moved much (if at all.) In fact, she seems utterly imperturbable, and doesn't respond to having her leaf moved around. I say "she" because this appears to be a female bolas spider of some kind. Since there aren't any matching photos here on BugGuide, I submitted these images to www.whatsthatbug.com. The kind folks who wrote in to that site were inclined to believe this is in the Mastophora genus, but no one knew the species.

This photo was taken a week after the others, but it depicts the same individual.

Images of this individual: tag all

Bolas spider (Mastophora?) - Mastophora phrynosoma - female

Bolas spider (Mastophora?) - Mastophora phrynosoma

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Contributed by Carmen Champagne on 15 October, 2007 - 4:38pm
Last updated 13 October, 2010 - 5:17pm

Moved

Moved from Bolas Spiders.

… Ken Schneider, 9 July, 2010 - 4:01pm

Moved

Moved from Bolas Spiders.

… Eric R. Eaton, 8 November, 2007 - 4:36pm

v. strange, thanks for sharing.

I've never seen or heard of these guys before - thanks for sharing the photos and information. That's quite the "house" that she's built for herself.

… M. N. O'Donnell, 17 October, 2007 - 9:21am

I was one of them:-)

I was one of the respondents on the post to WhatsThatBug.com. The (recent) book I have lists Mastophora as having 15 species in North America, but I suspect there are probably more that remain undiscovered, in part because of their nocturnal habits. They "bait" male moths by secreting a pheromone-mimicking odor, and they are apparently pretty specific. When you consider how many moths there are...well, you do the math. 'Only' fifteen species....?

… Eric R. Eaton, 15 October, 2007 - 7:12pm

Is she located in a tree near a light

that might attract moths at night. It would be interesting to discover if she is more active at night.

… john and jane balaban, 15 October, 2007 - 6:11pm

No lights close by...

I double-checked this, as there is a parking lot visible from the spot, but the only light is on the opposite end of that lot. The spider is located about 10 feet from a trailhead; nothing about that particular spot strikes me as unusual.

… Carmen Champagne, 18 October, 2007 - 12:13pm

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