Common Garbage-Line Web Spider

Cyclosa insulana

Cyclosa make a complete vertical, closely woven orb web in vegetation, about one metre above the ground. The distinguishing character of the web is the stabilimentum in line with the hub. The spider strings together dead bodies of prey and other debris on this stabilimentum. The spider hides in the debris as a defense against predators.
Garbage line spider - showing a full line of 'garbage' Cyclosa insulana,Geotagged,South Africa,Spring,garbage line spiders,south africa,spiders

Appearance

Female 5-7mm, male 4-6mm. Carapace mottled brown. Abdomen is elongate with broad silvery white dorsal band; silvery band extends laterally downward; abdomen at posterior end is blunt in male with three tubercles in female. legs are yellow with black bands.
Common Garbage-LIne Web Spider - Cyclosa insulana Common Garbage-Line Web Spider,Cyclosa insulana,Malaysia,Penang,Spider

Naming

Costa, 1834
Garbage line spider (male) Garbage line spiders are so called due to their habit of collecting dead bodies and other debris which are placed on the web. This acts as camouflage for the little spiders, a defense against predators. Looks like this little chap is just starting his graveyard collection! Cyclosa insulana,Fall,Geotagged,Insulana garbage-line web spiders,South Africa,orb-weavers,south africa,spiders

Distribution

Common throughout most of South Africa. Widespread globally from Mediterranean to Philippians and Australia.
Garbage line spider Complete with his little collection of garbage. Not the clearest of photos but the little spider is at the top of all this rubbish, at the centre of the web. Cyclosa insulana,Fall,Geotagged,Insulana garbage-line web spiders,South Africa,arachnids,cyclosa,south africa,spiders

Habitat

Vegetation
Garbage line spider (male) If it wasn't for the shiny abdomen, I may well have missed this lovely little spider Cyclosa insulana,Fall,Geotagged,Insulana garbage-line web spiders,South Africa,arachnids,orb-weavers,south africa,spider

Defense

The spider strings together dead bodies of prey and other debris on this stabilimentum. The spider hides in the debris as a defense against predators.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

Field Guide to the Spiders of South Africa - Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassArachnida
OrderAraneae
FamilyAraneidae
GenusCyclosa
SpeciesCyclosa insulana
Photographed in
Indonesia
Malaysia
South Africa