Spider-silverfish - the owner of the castle in the air

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

The silver spider is a small but poisonous spider that lives in the aquatic environment. Most arachnids live on land, this species is an exception. Body length from 1.2 to 1.5 cm, 8 legs, abdomen, cephalothorax, two pairs of jaws and 8 eyes - this is what a silver spider looks like. The description is very similar to other spiders, but there is something special in it - this is a huge amount of hairs on the abdomen, smeared with a waterproof substance, it is they who help the silverfish breathe underwater, because they hold air.

Most silverfish are found in Europe in fresh stagnant waters with grassy vegetation. The spider lives under water and builds a house for itself there. First, he weaves a net, which he then fills with air. Subsequently, it takes the form of a bell. The silver spider fixes its house to a snag, plant or stone. The spider breathes not only with the lungs, but also with the entire surface, so the air in the cocoon is spent sparingly.

To replenish air, the spider rises to the surface of the water. By the way, it swims quite quickly, at a speed of about 2 cm / s. Only the abdomen protrudes to the surface, the rest of the body is in the water. At this moment, the silverfish is completely defenseless, sotrying not to attract attention. Having taken air into the lungs and hairline, he plunges into the water to his bell in order to dump air reserves there. So that the hairs on the abdomen do not stick together and capture as much air as possible, the silverfish combs them from time to time and lubricates them with a greasy secret secreted from the mouth.

Although the silver spider has 8 eyes, it sees very poorly, but it has a fairly developed perception of shock and movement. Like all representatives of arachnids, the silverfish stretches signal threads from its cocoon to the nearest plants, snags and stones, so it immediately feels that someone has touched its web. Without wasting a minute, the spider immediately runs to check if the victim is caught. Serebryanka happily feeds on fish fry, insect larvae and crustaceans, in most cases it hunts at night.

The silver spider drags its victim into the bell, then lies on its back, releasing enzymes to digest the soft tissues of the prey. Everything that could not be digested, the spider simply throws out of the cocoon. Since males are slightly larger than females, they may not worry about being eaten and settle nearby. Mating takes place quite peacefully and always in the cocoon of the female.

To rebuild the cocoon for eggs, it is necessary to start immediately after fertilization, which, in fact, is what the silverfish does. The spider usually lays between 10 and 160 eggs. The female incubates the eggs, and until the moment the little spiders leave the cocoon, she does not come out.he doesn't eat anything. Young spiders usually settle in the same reservoir or weave a web for themselves and, with the help of the wind, move to another reservoir.

The life span of a silverfish is approximately 18 months. For the winter, almost only young spiders and a few old females remain. In order not to freeze, they look for empty shells, which they braid with cobwebs, or weave a dense cocoon from a vitreous mass. Silverfish endure even severe frosts quite well.