These Smiling Spiders: Behavior And Habitat
In the family of the terididae we can find several members who are always happy. Or at least they seem to be. In this article we give you information about the curious smiling spiders and their characteristics.
The group of smiling spiders
Although in this large family of more than 2,000 species we can find some that are very dangerous and poisonous, such as the black widow, there are also others that are known as the ‘smiling spiders’ because they have a ‘happy face’.
The most famous of these spiders is the Theridion grallator , better known as the ‘Hawaiian happy-faced spider’ that, as its name suggests, inhabits the islands of Hawaii, mainly in rainforests over 300 meters high in O ‘ ahu, Moloka’i and Maui.
This spider is about five millimeters long and each specimen has a different pattern on its body. Although most have the ‘smiley face’, no two are alike and even the designs differ from one island to the other.
It is believed that it is the way they camouflage themselves against birds, the only natural enemies of spiders in these latitudes. Likewise, this arachnid uses another technique to protect itself: hiding under the leaves of the plants during the day and taking advantage of that time to weave its tiny webs, which then serve to catch its food.
And not only that, since the cobwebs help them to orient themselves and find a mate during the breeding season. It is worth noting that copulation takes place during the night and the males die after mating.
Smiling spiders and their curious names
Although the Hawaiian spider is the most famous of all the smiling spiders, new species have been discovered in the Caribbean islands and in South America, which bear more than curious names as much or more than their ‘painted’ body.
Scientists and researchers from the University of Vermont (United States) have decided to baptize arachnids with the names of personalities recognized throughout the world. With this action, the idea was to honor those defenders of human rights or nature.
Smiling spiders are endemic to Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, the Lesser Antilles, and the states of Florida and South Carolina in the United States.
More smiling spiders
In addition to those recently discovered in the Caribbean and South America, there are other smiling spiders that attract our attention because they seem to have their faces on their backs :
1. Cat face spider
Its scientific name is Araneus gemmoides and it is a weaver spider that lives in the western United States. Although it seems creepy, the truth is that it is not poisonous. Females are larger than males, although they are not one centimeter long.
2. Orchard spider
The Leucauge venusta is a spider from the east coast of the United States, which lives not only in orchards, but also in cities or fields . It has reddish or orange spots on a black background that look like two eyes and a smiling mouth. It is not poisonous, although it resembles the black widow.
3. Golden crab spider
More than smiling, this spider seems to be scared. It is a small, stealthy species that knows how to camouflage itself more than well by resembling a flower and waiting for its prey –among them bees– totally still.
