JungleDragon is a nature and wildlife community for photographers, travellers and anyone who loves nature. We're genuine, free, ad-free and beautiful.

Join

Pholcus cannibalism Whilst watching and photographing an adult Pholcus phalangioides, a second one of the same species made its way in to the vicinity and I was able to observe and document the take down, swathing and then consumption of the interloper by the original subject. <br /> These spiders are found throughout Australia. It is a cosmopolitan species that originates from Europe, introduced here by accident. <br /> 9mm length<br /> <br /> Araneae,Australia,Daddy Long Legs,Fall,Geotagged,Longbodied cellar spider,Macro,Pholcus phalangioides,Spider,arthropod,cannibalism,invertebrate,skull spider Click/tap to enlarge Country intro

Pholcus cannibalism

Whilst watching and photographing an adult Pholcus phalangioides, a second one of the same species made its way in to the vicinity and I was able to observe and document the take down, swathing and then consumption of the interloper by the original subject.
These spiders are found throughout Australia. It is a cosmopolitan species that originates from Europe, introduced here by accident.
9mm length

    comments (3)

  1. View Christine Young's profile
    Christine Young
    Lion
    View Lion class
    Great example of intraspecific predation! I found some snow fleas engaged in this behavior last winter:
    Springtails Exhibiting Intraspecific Predation Snow fleas are not a type of flea. Neither are they insects. Rather, they are arthropods that belong to the class Entognatha. During most of the year they live in the soil and leaf litter where they consume fungi and decaying vegetation. They are actually crucial decomposers! On warm winter days, they often appear on the surface of the snow and since they are tiny (~1mm) like fleas, they are referred to as "snow fleas". Their migrations from the soil/leaf litter to the snow may be triggered by overcrowding or lack of food. They do not have wings, but instead have tail-like projections called furcula, which are held like a spring on the bottom of their abdomens. When a snow flea wants to move, the furcula springs down and catapults the snow flea as far as 100 times its body length! Furthermore, snow fleas in the genus Hypogastrura have three anal sacs, which they evert just before jumping. These sacs are thought to serve as sticky air bags, which prevent the snow fleas from bouncing around randomly when it lands. Pretty amazing biology! <br /> <br /> I spotted thousands of these springtails in the woods - they were all over rocks, rotting wood, trees, and leaf litter. Everything was very wet from snow melt and recent rain. Snow fleas are one of the most numerous land animals, with several hundred thousand possibly living in one cubic yard, but it was still a surprise to see as many as I did!<br /> <br /> I'm wondering if food sources for these creatures are scarce right now, or if they normally engage in cannibalism because I spotted several groups clustered together eating each other, thus exhibiting a type of cannibalism called Intraspecific Predation. <br /> Geotagged,Hypogastrura,Hypogastrura nivicola,United States,Winter,cannibalism,collembola,intraspecific predation,snow flea,springtail
     Posted 6 years ago
    1. View Ruth Spigelman's profile
      Ruth Spigelman
      Lion
      View Lion class
      Fascinating Christine....I think I've read of springtail species eating other springtails but of differing species, but this is a first for me to see cannibalism of their own type. Posted 6 years ago
      1. View Christine Young's profile
        Christine Young
        Lion
        View Lion class
        It was a first for me as well. Such an odd thing to see species eating their own kind.

         Posted 6 years ago

Sign in or Join in order to comment.

The Long-bodied Cellar Spider

"Pholcus phalangioides", commonly known as daddy long-legs spider or long-bodied cellar spider, is a spider of the family Pholcidae. It is also known as the skull spider, since its cephalothorax is said to resemble a human skull.

Info 17 1
Similar species: Spiders
Species identified by Ruth Spigelman
View Ruth Spigelman's profile

By Ruth Spigelman

All rights reserved
Uploaded Nov 16, 2018. Captured May 13, 2018 12:15 in 63 Hickson St, Merewether NSW 2291, Australia.
country flag of Australia Explore Australia 13,072 4,173 3
  • Canon EOS 60D
  • f/10.0
  • 1/25s
  • ISO250
  • 100mm
Captured in the fall. More fall photos.