Nemoscolus


Nemoscolus is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895.

Life style

Nemoscolus species are orb-web spiders that make a stone nest in the centre of the orb-web. The webs are usually constructed in grass and lack a stabilimentum.
A small conical or helicoid retreat is made of material such as soil particles, silk and vegetable matter. The opening of the tube is positioned in the centre of the horizontal orb-web, and the conical tube serves as both a retreat and a repository for eggs. The spider sits in the entrance of the web waiting for prey.
Prey typically consists of jumping insects such as second-instar locusts.

Description

Female spiders measure 4-6 mm in total length, while males are slightly smaller at 3-5 mm. These small spiders have slightly elongated bodies with a pear-shaped carapace that is narrower in the eye region.
The abdomen is round oval and is usually whitish with median and lateral longitudinal bands that merge posteriorly.
The legs are similar in colour to the carapace and are kept tightly against the body. Males are a little smaller than females.

Species

, this genus includes fifteen species, all found in Africa except for N. laurae, found in the western Mediterranean, and N. sandersi, found in Australia: