Dwarf round headed spider or disc web spiders

Family Oecobiidae

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Oecobius navus

 

Common names for these spiders are wall spider, baseboard spider and stucco spider.
101 species are described world-wide. It are cribellate spiders with six or eight eyes.
Only a single species occurs in southern Europe, Oecobius navus . The spider is cosmopolitian and only lives inside houses.
She makes a disc like web with a diameter of 30 mm with signaling threads to detect prey that stumbles over these threads.. The spider hides under the web and runs very quickly out if she detecs a prey or when disturbed.

The spider is small, 2 -2.5 mm

Oecobius navus photographed by Luis Crespo, Porto de Mós, Portugal.  

The next spiders were found on the Canary island La Gomera.
Seven different species are identified on this small island.

Oecobius caesaris Wunderlich, 1987
Oecobius dolosus Wunderlich, 1987
Oecobius gomerensis Wunderlich, 1979
Oecobius hayensis Wunderlich, 1992
Oecobius persimilis Wunderlich, 1987
Oecobius rugosus Wunderlich, 1987
Oecobius similis Kulczynski, 1909

 

Note the special eye setting
Oecobius sp female Oecobius sp male
Oecobius sp female in her disc-shaped hiding place Oecobius sp female with egg cocoon

 

 

Ed Nieuwenhuys, 1 january 2007
11 september 2004