Parawixia dehaani

Parawixia dehaani, known in Australia as the abandoned-web orb-weaver, is a species of orb weaver spider from the family Araneidae which is widely distributed in Australasia and eastern Asia.[1] It is common in gardens, leading to it sometimes being known by the name common garden spider.[2] The specific name is sometimes spelt dehaanii.[1]

Parawixia dehaani
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Araneidae
Genus: Parawixia
Species:
P. dehaani
Binomial name
Parawixia dehaani
Synonyms[1]
  • Epeira dehaani Doleschall, 1859 (as E. dehaanii)
  • Epeira spectabilis Doleschall, 1859
  • Epeira caputlupi Doleschall, 1859
  • Epeira bogoriensis Doleschall, 1859
  • Epeira kandarensis Thorell, 1877
  • Epeira submucronata Simon, 1887
  • Epeira caestata Thorell, 1890
  • Aranea dehaani (Doleschall, 1859)
  • Araneus caputlupi (Doleschall, 1859)
  • Araneus dehaani (Doleschall, 1859)
  • Araneus submucronatus (Simon, 1887)

Description

The female Parawixia dehaani is a large, dark brown spider with variable patterns on the abdomen. The most noticeable field characteristic is the triangular abdomen having corners with sharp spikes.[3]

Phylogeny

Close relatives

It has a close relative Parawixia bistriata, which is mainly found in South America.

Distribution

The species is found from India to the Philippines, New Guinea[1] and Australia.[4] It has also been recorded in Pakistan.[5]

Habitat

Parawixia dehaani is found in gardens, disturbed areas and nearby bushland.[4]

Biology

Parawaixia dehaani is nocturnal and feeds mainly on moths. During the day the spider shelters under a leaf in the vegetation.[2] It builds a vertical orb web with an open hub, which often looks damaged, with sections missing, hence the Australian common name, abandoned-web orb-weaver.[4] When disturbed the spiders falls to the ground and plays dead with its legs retracted.[4] Bats have been recorded as being captured by this spider.[6]

References
  1. "Parawixia dehaani (Doleschall, 1859)". Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  2. "Common Garden Spider Parawixia dehaani (Doleschall) 1859". Joseph K H Koh. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  3. "South Indian Spiders". Division of Arachnology, Dept of Zoology, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Kochi, Kerala, India. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  4. "Parawixia dehaanii (Doleschall 1859) Abandoned-web Orb Weaver". Robert Whyte and Dr Greg Anderson. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  5. Mukhtar, Muhammad Khalid; Shafaat, Yar Khan; Jabeen, Sidra; Tahir, Hafiz Muhammad; Qadir, Abdul; Raees Ahmad, Khawaja; Butt3, Abida; Arshad, Muhammad (2012). "A Preliminary Checklist of the Spider Fauna of Sargodha (Punjab), Pakistan". Pakistan J. Zool. 44 (5): 1245–1254.
  6. Nyffeler, M.; Knörnschild, M. (2013). "Bat Predation by Spiders". PLoS ONE. 8 (3): e58120. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058120. PMC 3596325. PMID 23516436.
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