How to Identify a Portia Spider
Know what a Portia spider is.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know what a Portia spider is.
Here are some key characteristics.
Physical features: .24” to .39” (6 to 10 mm) long Poisonous:
No Lives in: world-wide Eats:
The Portia Spider hunts and eats other spiders.
They will eat any type of spider, including spiders that are 200 times their own size, but they prefer web spiders, probably because they have specialized techniques for stalking and capturing other spiders in their webs.
The manner by which they stalk and capture their prey is fascinating because they use specialized tactics for each type of spider they are hunting.
Some of their clever hunting schemes include:
Imitating a fly caught in a web, pretending to be an inanimate object, conducting the mating ritual of a specific spider species, attaching their own web to the web of their prey, catching a fly and putting it in the spider’s web; while the spider is eating the fly, the Portia sneaks up and eats the spider.
Detailed Guide
Here are some key characteristics.
Physical features: .24” to .39” (6 to 10 mm) long Poisonous:
No Lives in: world-wide Eats:
The Portia Spider hunts and eats other spiders.
They will eat any type of spider, including spiders that are 200 times their own size, but they prefer web spiders, probably because they have specialized techniques for stalking and capturing other spiders in their webs.
The manner by which they stalk and capture their prey is fascinating because they use specialized tactics for each type of spider they are hunting.
Some of their clever hunting schemes include:
Imitating a fly caught in a web, pretending to be an inanimate object, conducting the mating ritual of a specific spider species, attaching their own web to the web of their prey, catching a fly and putting it in the spider’s web; while the spider is eating the fly, the Portia sneaks up and eats the spider.
About the Author
Stephen Hall
With a background in lifestyle and practical guides, Stephen Hall brings 1 years of hands-on experience to every article. Stephen believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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