Page 112 - World of Animals - Deadly Predators

Bolas Trapdoor spiders

spiders An insect is walking along the ground wait for prey. A hungry trapdoor spider

sets out a tripwire of silk near its burrow;
when suddenly it vanishes into thin air. No
sign is left of its disappearance or of any
struggle. This unfortunate creature has when vibrations along the silk line alert
it to the presence of another animal, it
The expert fishermen of the fallen prey to a trapdoor spider, a cunning launches itself out from the burrow and
insect kingdom hunter with a talent for setting traps. ambushes the prey.
Trapdoor spiders, members of the The family’s name comes from a Greek
family Ctenizidae, use barb-like structures word for ‘cleaning’. As the concealed
along their fangs to dig burrows in the burrows are crucial to their hunting
Perching on branches and leaves, hunting soil. Creating trapdoors and hinging them strategy, trapdoor spiders dedicate large
bolas spiders look as though they’re fishing. on one side with silk threads, the spiders amounts of time to maintaining them and
These innovative arachnids produce and create secret chambers where they can perfecting their camouflage.
lower a large blob of sticky silk on a fine
strand to catch passing moths, swinging Trapdoor spiders rely on
it at the perfect moment so that it snags the element of surprise
their delicate wings and holds them while
they’re reeled in towards waiting jaws. The
bolas after which the spiders are named is a
weapon originating in the Americas – a set
of interconnected cords with weights at the
ends that can be thrown to entangle the legs
of prey.
Amazingly, the spiders are able to mimic
the sex pheromones of the females of their
target species, attracting unsuspecting
males searching the night sky for the scent
of potential mates. They can even change
the chemical bait they emit as they hunt,
mimicking the moth most active at each
part of the night to maximise their chances
of success.

© Thinkstock

© Judy Gallagher Bolas spiders draw © Thinkstock

unwitting moths to
their deaths