Talk:Tree trunk spider

File:Hersilia-2016-06-19-002.jpg scheduled for POTD

edit

Hello! This is to let editors know that the featured picture File:Hersilia-2016-06-19-002.jpg, which is used in this article, has been selected as the English Wikipedia's picture of the day (POTD) for May 18, 2020. A preview of the POTD is displayed below and can be edited at Template:POTD/2020-05-18. Any improvements or maintenance to this article should be made before its scheduled appearance on the Main Page. If there are any concerns, please place a message at Wikipedia talk:Picture of the day. Thank you! Cwmhiraeth (talk) 10:05, 4 May 2020 (UTC)Reply

 

Tree trunk spiders are members of the family Hersiliidae, native to tropical and subtropical parts of the world. Ranging from 10 to 18 mm (0.4 to 0.7 in) in length, they have two prominent spinnerets that are almost as long as their abdomen, earning them another nickname, the "two-tailed spiders".

This picture shows a tree trunk spider of the genus Hersilia, photographed in Kadavoor in the Indian state of Kerala, capturing a cicada. The spider lies in wait on a tree for an insect to land on the trunk. Pouncing on its prey, it uses its spinnerets to wrap it in silk. When the insect is immobilised, the spider bites through the shroud before sucking out the insect's juices.

Photograph credit: Jeevan Jose

Recently featured: