June 2024 Spider of the Month

The JUNE Spider of the Month (SOTM) is this scorpion-tailed orb-web spider (Arachnura scorpionoides; Araneidae), photographed by Suncana Bradley in Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal.

Regarding this find, Suncana said:

“I came across this particular Arachnura scorpionoides on the very edge of Krantzkloof Nature Reserve during the City Nature Challenge 2024. We were actually on an orchid mission, looking for the rare Stenoglottis longifolia (which we did find), so the spider was an added bonus. I usually see Arachnura at night, so it was a surprise to find one in the middle of the day. The web was at the edge of the forest, stretched in the foliage at shoulder level. I try not to disturb creatures when photographing them, so this photo is the result of a very awkward, half-crouched dance involving me, my camera, and a very patient spider.”

These very odd spiders get their name (meaning “scorpion-like spider”) from their long “tail”. They can move this tail up, down, and sideways, and even curl it up like a roll of boerewors. When they feel threatened, they will curl the tail over the body, like a scorpion. Besides this threat display, the tail and the rest of the body also serve as camouflage, making the spider look like a leaf caught in a web.

They spin an incomplete orb web, with a V-shaped open section at the top, and an open hub. They attach their egg sacs together in one long string, similar to the tropical tent-web spider (Cyrtophora citricola). If I recall correctly, Lycan Paw has recorded a string of 14 egg sacs.

The genus was first described by French arachnologist Auguste Vinson in 1863. There are 12 recorded Arachnura species in the world, found in Australasia, South and East Asia, and only this one species recorded from Africa (Ethiopia, DRC, Seychelles, Mayotte, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, and South Africa). In South Africa, it has been recorded in the Eastern and Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West.

This is Suncana’s first SOTM, despite coming close a few times. This was, however, a very close contest for first place, with Jarrod’s hedgehog spider (Pycnacantha cf. tribulus) trailing by only three votes. Of the 227 people who voted, her photo received 120 votes. Congratulations, Suncana, and thank you to everyone who voted!