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Zealaranea crassa (Walckenaer, 1842) Fat Orb Weaver

Zealaranea crassa is a widely distributed orb weaver found on hedges or amongst gorse and manuka scrub, is greyish brown with a prominent white band across the front of the abdomen. The white band can be extremely variable sometimes being large white spots or a pattern of dots. Sometimes there is a white band running lengthways forming a T-shape. Occasionally the upper surface of the abdomen is covered in white. The web is typical of orb webs with closely spaced spirals. The centre is bitten out, leaving a gap. A silk cable leads from the hub to nearby vegetation where the spider sometimes rests. When prey is trapped the spider shakes the web, then moves in to bite the prey and wrap it in a band of silk. At night the prey is usually taken to the hub and consumed there. Prey caught in the day may be taken to the resting place at the end Of the cable. (Forster and Forster, Spiders of New Zealand and their world-wide kin, 1999, 2005).

Female, pregnant, facing, oblique, body length 9mm Marjorie Lane, Papamoa Beach, New Zealand


In gorse in the garden of a bach.

Zealaranea
Photo: Robert Whyte

Female, pregnant, facing, body length 9mm Marjorie Lane, Papamoa Beach, New Zealand


Zealaranea
Photo: Robert Whyte

Female, pregnant, side on, body length 9mm Marjorie Lane, Papamoa Beach, New Zealand


Zealaranea
Photo: Robert Whyte

Female, pregnant, facing, body length 9mm Marjorie Lane, Papamoa Beach, New Zealand


Zealaranea
Photo: Robert Whyte

Body length about 7mm In daytime orb web in cool temperate rainforest beside Kaiate Falls, Bay of Plenty, near Welcome Bay


In cool temperate rainforest beside Kaiate Falls, Bay of Plenty, near Welcome Bay.

Zealaranea
Photo: Robert Whyte

Body length about 7mm In daytime orb web in cool temperate rainforest beside Kaiate Falls, Bay of Plent


Zealaranea
Photo: Robert Whyte

Body length about 7mm In daytime orb web in cool temperate rainforest beside Kaiate Falls, Bay of Plent


Zealaranea
Photo: Robert Whyte

 

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