Fantastic and Unique Shapes of Spiders
There are about 40,000 known species of spiders in the world and a lot more are waiting to be discovered.
With this very large number, there’s no doubt that spiders are one of the most popular insects in the world.
And of course, who doesn’t know Spiderman. Spiders as we all know can be helpful or harmful to us. Some
spiders are colorful, some venomous and few are uniquely shaped.
Gasteracantha dalyi: Fantastic Shape
The Gasteracantha dalyi, a species of spider, is certainly one of the most fantastically shaped and uniquely
colored spiders in the world. Two of its extended spine are very long and makes the spider unique among the
other species. Its shape is similar to a particular species of crab with two eyeglasses handle-like objects on its
rear sides.
Crab Spider (Gasteracantha cancriformis): Star-shaped
This is yet another spider with unique shape. The star-shaped Spiny-backed Orbweaver, Females are 5 to 9
mm long and 10 to 13 mm wide. The six abdominal spine-like projections on the abdomen are characteristic.
Like in many other spiders, males are much smaller (2 to 3 mm long) and longer than wide.
This crab spider is also known with a variety of common names like Spiny Orbweaver Spider, Crab-like
Orbweaver Spider, Crab-like Spiny Orbweaver Spider, Jewel Spider, Spiny-bellied Orbweaver, Jewel Box
Spider and Smiley Face Spider. Whew that’s plenty!
Spined Micrathena (Micrathena gracilis): Spiked Ball-shaped
The freak but harmless Spined Micrathena with a total of 10 spines spins a moderately large, very tightly
coiled web in wooded or brushy areas. Males do not build web and almost only half the size of females.
Although males can produce silk, they mostly use it in the mating ritual, which frequently also proves fatal.
Marbled Orb Weaver (Araneus marmoreus): Globular-shaped
The brightly colored with globular shaped Marbled Orb-weaver is a species that can be found on the northern
continents of the world. The female has a body length (excluding legs) of up to 14 mm while the male is rather
smaller at 9 mm.
Orange Wheelweaving Spider (Araneus alsine): Globular-shaped
Another species of spider with globular shape is the Orange Wheelweaving Spider. Females can reach sizes
of up to 15mm, with the color of the almost globular creature ranging from beige to orange. Many yellowish dots
spread over the surface. It builds small webs near the ground and waits near them in leaves that it has rolled
together. The species can be found on moist forest clearings and meadows.
Conculus lyugadinus: Hand Grenade-shaped
The hand grenade shaped Conculus lyngadinus is a small species usually less than 2 mm long. Without the
head and legs, it also resembles a black marble or black ball.
This spider lives in leaf litter and moss on the floor of rain forest and build orb web with a diameter of less than
Arrowshape Micrathena (Micrathena sagittata): Arrow-shaped
The arrow-shaped Micrathena sagittata can be found in the US and Central America. This is a striking spider
with a distinctive arrow-shaped abdomen. Like many species of spiders, males are much smaller than females
and males lack spines. They leave a hole in the center of their web to assist in motion.
Savignyi Spider (Argiope savignyi): Cross-shaped
Argiope savignyi, a species of orb-weaving spider can be found from Mexico to Bolivia. This cross-shaped spider
feeds on Proboscis Bat by totally encasing the bat in silk during the course of a day. It sometimes spins a silk disc
and was named after French zoologist Marie Jules Cezar Savigny, in whose volumes the name Argiope was first
published in 1825.
Scorpion Tailed Spider (Arachnura higginsi): Scorpion-shaped
The unique in shape Tailed Spider or Scorpion Tailed Spider of Australia has a notable tail that is similar to a
scorpion but it’s harmless. There is a big discrepancy on the size of males compared to females. The body length
of a male is 2 mm only while a female is around 16 mm. It builds web near ground level, on an angle or sometimes
horizontal. Small flying insects are the usual prey.
Tailed Spider (Arachnura melanura): Dead Leaf-shaped
Tailed Spider of Australasia with one species found in Africa and Madagascar mimics litter, like twigs or dead
leaves, by a brownish color and appendages. It stays at the middle of its web day and night.
It is also commonly known as Scorpion-tailed Spider and Scorpion Spider. It curls up its tail when disturbed,
but this tail is completely harmless. Bites are rare, and result in minor symptoms such as local pain and swelling.
Scorpion Spider (Platyoides): Flat-shaped
Scorpion spiders or Platyoides are found in Sub-Saharan Africa and in Madagascar, Reunion, Aldabra and
Canary Islands, all part of Africa. The genus is nocturnal in habit and has developed extreme flattening of the
body adapted to living in narrow cracks.
Long-jawed Orb Weaver (Tetragnathidae): Elongated-shaped
The elongated with long legs Long-jawed Orb Weaver or Long jawed Spider can be found all over the world,
although most occur in the tropics and subtropics. It is commonly called Stretch Spider because of its elongated
body form. It will stretch its front legs forward and the others in the other direction when disturbed enabling to
hide on blades of grass or similar elongated substrates. It is also capable of running over water.
Garden Center Spider (Uloborus plumipes): Weird Shaped
The weird-looking Uloborus plumipes can be found around the world. Common names are Feather-legged Lace
Weaver and Garden Center Spider, due to its frequent occurrence in garden centers. It hangs upside down in its
horizontal web. Young spiders look like dead insects and are thus hard to find in a web.
Gasteracantha fornicata; Crab-shaped
This crab-shaped spider of Queensland in Australia scientifically named Gasteracantha fornicata is a type of
spiny orb-weaver spider.
Bird Dropping Spider (Celaenia excavata): Bird’s Poop-shaped
Were you able to figure out which on the objects on the above photo is the Bird Dropping Spider? This spider
derives its name from mimicking bird droppings to avoid predators, mainly birds. Males are much smaller than
females. This spider of Australia stays motionless on its web during the day, only hunting for prey at night. It
hangs down from a single silk thread and releases a pheromone which mimics the sex smells released by female
moths. When a moth comes near the spider will capture it with their powerful front legs.
Bolas Spider (Mastophora): Bird’s Poop-shaped
This isn’t a bird’s poop, it’s a spider. Another species of spiders that resemble bird droppings are species of
Mastophora or Bolas Spiders.
Bolas Spiders are unusual orb-weaver spiders that do not spin the typical web. Instead, they hunt by using a
sticky ‘capture blob’ of silk on the end of a line. By swinging the ‘bolas’ at flying male moths nearby (which are
lured to the spider by use of up to three pheromone-analogues), the spider may snag its prey rather like a
fisherman snagging a fish on a hook. Because of this, they are also called “angling or fishing spider”.
Hope you enjoyed this. Thank you!
For peculiar shapes of caterpillars and mushrooms see
Fantastic and Unique Shapes of Caterpillars
Fantastic and Unique Shapes of Mushrooms
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