Immature female redback

This pretty girl had set up home just outside my laundry door. Classic, synanthropic location for a redback. After watching and documenting her growth over several weeks, one day she was gone. It is unusual for these females to move once a location has been picked and web building begins, so I'm assuming she was taken by a bird, wasp or such.

5 mm body lenth

comments (1)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

"The redback spider is one of only two animals known where the male has been found to actively assist the female in sexual cannibalism. In the process of mating, the much smaller male somersaults to place his abdomen over the female's mouthparts. In about two of three cases, the female fully consumes the male while mating continues."

...and if you think at least 1 out of 3 escapes death...no, they die from injury. Posted 5 years ago

The Redback spider

The redback spider is a species of venomous spider indigenous to Australia. It is a member of the cosmopolitan genus "Latrodectus", the widow spiders. The adult female is easily recognised by her spherical black body with a prominent red stripe on the upper side of her abdomen and an hourglass-shaped red/orange streak on the underside.

Info 22 0

Similar species: Spiders

Species identified by Ruth Spigelman