The filmy dome spider (''Neriene radiata'') is a
sheet weaver: a
spider
Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species d ...
in the family
Linyphiidae
Linyphiidae, spiders commonly known as sheet weavers (from the shape of their webs), or money spiders (in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and in Portugal, from the superstition that if such a spider is seen running on you, ...
with a
holarctic
The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical regi ...
distribution. These spiders construct a dome of fine
spider silk
Spider silk is a protein fibre spun by spiders. Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures, which function as sticky nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons to protect their offspring, or to wrap up prey. They can a ...
and hang upside-down under it, waiting for their prey. It is a preferential host for the kleptoparasitic ''
Argyrodes trigonum''.
File:Neriene radiata.ogv, ''Neriene radiata'', mating behaviour
File:Filmy dome spiders (Neriene radiata) mating.jpg, alt=filmy dome spiders (Neriene radiata) mating, Male and female filmy dome spiders (Neriene radiata) mating
References
Linyphiidae
Articles containing video clips
Holarctic spiders
{{Linyphiidae-stub