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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Orb Weavers (Araneidae) » Garden Orbweavers (Argiope) » Banded Argiope (Argiope trifasciata)
Photo#701089
Araneid and a trichobothria question - Argiope trifasciata
Copyright © 2012 Cam Lay

Araneid and a trichobothria question - Argiope trifasciata
Conrad, Pondera County, Montana, USA
September 5, 2012
The perpendicular hairs on the metatarsus are trichobothria, correct? But the tarsus appears,from this angle, bare. But the other pictures... I appreciate any assistance anybody can provide.

Images of this individual: tag all
Araneid and a trichobothria question - Argiope trifasciata Araneid and a trichobothria question - Argiope trifasciata Araneid and a trichobothria question - Argiope trifasciata Araneid and a trichobothria question - Argiope trifasciata
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Contributed by Cam Lay on 7 September, 2012 - 4:44pm
Last updated 19 January, 2023 - 5:08pm

trichobothrium
The definition in SONA says: (pl. trichobothria) a sensory hair (sensillum) arising from a round pit (bothrium); typically these are very slender and project vertically from the surface above the other hairs; rarely are they short and thick.

I hope you don't mind I added arrows & typing in your image to clarify what we're talking about and for possible use in the glossary later.
… Lynette Elliott, 8 September, 2012 - 7:58am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks!
I don't mind at all! Thank you!

So, the small hairs in the tarsi are "something else," and the longer hairs on the metatarsi are in fact trichobothria, correct?

It seems to me that there is a lot more variation between spiders than there is in insects. (?)
… Cam Lay, 9 September, 2012 - 4:03pm login or register to post comments

 
I'm really not sure yet
With that saying... rarely are they short and thick... I'd say it does happen. I tried to find a description of this species that mentions those hairs, but I didn't find anything.
… Lynette Elliott, 9 September, 2012 - 8:42pm login or register to post comments

 
trichobothria
Here's an image Eric has provided of this type of hair on a Mangora sp.
… Lynette Elliott, 24 January, 2013 - 9:15pm login or register to post comments

trichobothria
I can't speak to those particular hairs, I've only seen a few longer ones that I remember (like the ones in these drawings http://research.amnh.org/iz/blackrock2/key.htm.

A tip that an instructor gave is that if you have the spider in alcohol under the microscope, the trichobothria will wave around in the alcohol if you jiggle the dish.
… Debbi Brusco, 7 September, 2012 - 7:05pm login or register to post comments

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