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Amaurobius ferox

Summary

Amaurobius ferox is one of the “hacklemesh weavers” in the family Amaurobiidae. Native to Europe, it has become established in southeastern Canada and the eastern U.S. This robust spider is common in and around homes, but also lives under rocks, logs, in leaf litter, and other dark, humid places. The tangled, net-like web issues from a crack or crevice that serves as the spider’s retreat. The silk is not sticky. The spider has a special spinning organ called a cribellum, and leg comb (calamistrum), that allow it to create threads composed of thousands of tiny loops. Prey is easily snagged in those loops. Mature male spiders wander in search of mates mostly in spring, in contrast to most spiders that mate in the fall. The female deposits eggs into a lens-shaped silken sac, and guards it. This species is “matriphagous,” meaning the mother sacrifices herself as food for her spiderlings once they emerge from the egg sac. Amaurobius ferox is also considered “subsocial” because the spiderlings feed communally for about a month before dispersing from the mother's web.

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Taxonomy

→ Family: Amaurobiidae
→ Genus: Amaurobius
→ Species: Amaurobius ferox

Other Common Names

Hacklemesh Weaver, Black Lace Weaver

Pronunciation

ay-mor-OH-bee-uhs FAIR-ox

Pictures of Amaurobius ferox

General

Female Spiders

Male Spiders

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Thumbnail of Amaurobius ferox 13 - Genitalia
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  • MaleAdult Male
  • Perspective: Genitalia
Thumbnail of Amaurobius ferox 12 - Genitalia
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  • MaleAdult Male
  • Perspective: Genitalia
Thumbnail of Amaurobius ferox 11 - Lateral
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  • FemaleAdult Female
  • Perspective: Lateral
  • Location: Fabius, Onondaga County, New York
  • Date: April 16, 2013
Thumbnail of Amaurobius ferox 10 - Dorsal
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  • FemaleAdult Female
  • Perspective: Dorsal
  • Location: Fabius, Onondaga County, New York
  • Date: April 16, 2013
Thumbnail of Amaurobius ferox 9 - Ventral
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  • FemaleAdult Female
  • Perspective: Ventral
  • Location: Fabius, Onondaga County, New York
  • Date: April 16, 2013
Thumbnail of Amaurobius ferox 8 - Eyes
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  • FemaleAdult Female
  • Perspective: Eyes
  • Location: Fabius, Onondaga County, New York
  • Date: April 16, 2013
Thumbnail of Amaurobius ferox 7 - Dorsal
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  • FemaleAdult Female
  • Perspective: Dorsal
  • Location: Fabius, Onondaga County, New York
  • Date: April 16, 2013
Thumbnail of Amaurobius ferox 6 - Eyes
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  • MaleAdult Male
  • Perspective: Eyes
  • Location: Buffalo, New York
  • Date: April 6, 2012
Thumbnail of Amaurobius ferox 5 - Dorsal
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  • MaleAdult Male
  • Perspective: Dorsal
  • Location: Michigan City, Indiana
  • Date: March 30, 2012
Thumbnail of Amaurobius ferox 1 - Dorsal
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  • MaleAdult Male
  • Perspective: Dorsal
  • Date: November 14, 2010
Thumbnail of Amaurobius ferox 2 - Eyes
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  • FemaleAdult Female
  • Perspective: Eyes
  • Date: May 5, 2010
Thumbnail of Amaurobius ferox 4 - Dorsal
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  • FemaleImmature Female
  • Perspective: Dorsal
  • Date: June 21, 2008
Thumbnail of Amaurobius ferox 3 - Webs
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  • FemaleImmature Female
  • Misc: Webs
  • Date: May 29, 2008

References

Cameron, H. D. 2005. Chapter 73 — An etymological dictionary of North American spider genus names, page 73 in D. Ubick, P. Paquin, P.E. Cushing, and V. Roth (eds.) Spiders of North America: an identification manual. American Arachnological Society, Keene (New Hampshire).

Kim, K. W. 1998. "L’organisation sociale d’Amaurobius ferox: modèle pour l’étude des phénomènes sociaux chez les araignées?" PhD Thesis, Univesité Henri-Poincaré, Nancy, France.

Kim, K. W. 2000. "Dispersal behaviour in a subsocial spider: group conflict and the effect of food availability." Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 48(3): 182-187.

Kim, K. W. 2001. "Social facilitation of synchronized molting behavior in the spider Amaurobius ferox (Araneae, Amaurobiidae)." Journal of Insect Behavior 14(3): 401-409.

Kim, K. W. 2007. "Report: sex ratio and approximate date of fertilization of the subsocial spider Amaurobius ferox Walckenaer (Araneae: Amaurobiidae)." Journal of Ecology and Field Biology 30(3): 277-280.

Kim, K. W. & A. Horel. 1998. "Matriphagy in the spider Amaurobius ferox (Araneidae, Amaurobiidae): an example of mother‐offspring interactions." Ethology 104(12): 1021-1037.

Kim, K. W. & C. Roland. 2000. "Trophic egg laying in the spider Amaurobius ferox: mother–offspring interactions and functional value." Behavioural Processes 50(1): 31-42.

Kim, K. W., B. Krafft, & J. C. Choe. 2005. "Cooperative prey capture by young subsocial spiders." Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 59(1): 92-100.

Kim, K. W., B. Krafft, & J. C. Choe. 2005. "Cooperative prey capture by young subsocial spiders: II. Behavioral mechanism." Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 59(1): 101-107.

Kim, K. W., C. Roland, & A. Horel. 2000. "Functional value of matriphagy in the spider Amaurobius ferox." Ethology 106(8): 729-742.

Paquin, P., D. J. Buckle, N. Dupérré, & C. D. Dondale. 2010. "Checklist of the spiders (Araneae) of Canada and Alaska." Zootaxa 2461:1-170.

Wilson, R. S. & J. Bullock. 1973. "The hydraulic interaction between prosoma and opisthosoma in Amaurobius ferox (Chelicerata, Araneae)." Zeitschrift für Morphologie der Tiere 74(3): 221-230.