''Cyclosa conica'' is a small

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

with no

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

. It is an

orb weaver Orb-weaver spiders are members of the spider family Araneidae. They are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields, and forests. The English word "orb" can mean "circular", hence the English name ...

, and it is easily recognized by the way it strings together the dead bodies of insects and other debris and hangs it near the center of its

web Web most often refers to: * Spider web, a silken structure created by the animal * World Wide Web or the Web, an Internet-based hypertext system Web, WEB, or the Web may also refer to: Computing * WEB, a literate programming system created by ...

. It hides on this string of debris, and its natural coloration makes it extremely difficult to see until it moves. One of its defenses against

predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

s is to blend in with this debris and to feign death when disturbed. These spiders are small; the females range from 5.3 mm to 7.5 mm, and the males range from 3.6 mm to 4 mm. The webs of these spiders are characterized by a vertical stripe running down the center. This stripe, or

stabilimentum A stabilimentum (plural: stabilimenta), also known as a web decoration, is a conspicuous silk structure included in the webs of some species of orb-web spider. Its function is a subject of debate. Origin It is likely that the use of stabiliment ...

, is composed of dead prey and other debris and is used as a hiding place for the spider. The material in the stabilimentum may also serve as a decoy to mislead predators into attacking the debris, giving the spider time to escape. Conica

Subspecies

* ''Cyclosa conica albifoliata'' Strand, 1907 (France) * ''Cyclosa conica defoliata'' Strand, 1907 (Central Europe) * ''Cyclosa conica dimidiata'' Simon, 1929 (France) * ''Cyclosa conica leucomelas'' Strand, 1907 (Central Europe) * ''Cyclosa conica pyrenaica'' Strand, 1907 (France) * ''Cyclosa conica zamezai'' Franganillo, 1909 (Portugal)

References

External links

* * Araneidae Spiders described in 1772 Holarctic spiders Spiders of Europe Taxa named by Peter Simon Pallas {{Araneidae-stub