As home I have a praying mantis that, well, have you heard of this before?

My full sized adult praying mantis lives in a spiders web, made by a funnel-web or similar spider. It isn’t trapped there, it doesn’t stick, it walks around on the web slowly, but as easily as a spider does. Living on this web allows it to eat moths and other flying critters that get trapped in the web.

I don’t know what has happened to the original spider that made the web. Perhaps it died a natural death, perhaps it was eaten, perhaps its still alive.

(I had to remove half the web in order to clean the windows yesterday, but took care to disturb the mantis as little as possible.) A picture of the mantis is below (after half the web was removed).

Interesting, hadn’t heard of such behaviour before.

Interesting observation.

If it’s a funnel-shaped web in the windows though, it’s likely to be a Black house spider’s web.

Bubblecar said:

Interesting, hadn’t heard of such behaviour before.

Hmm.

Well I have.

id expect a mantis has a good eye for places meals tend to converge, or get stuck

interesting picture

transition said:

id expect a mantis has a good eye for places meals tend to converge, or get stuck

interesting picture

I posted one of the same thing here not long ago.

roughbarked said:

transition said:

id expect a mantis has a good eye for places meals tend to converge, or get stuck

interesting picture

I posted one of the same thing here not long ago.

find it, or upload again

transition said:

roughbarked said:

transition said:

id expect a mantis has a good eye for places meals tend to converge, or get stuck

interesting picture

I posted one of the same thing here not long ago.

find it, or upload again

I’m looking but I’ll have to wait until the phone charges up I think.

Speedy said:

Interesting observation.

If it’s a funnel-shaped web in the windows though, it’s likely to be a Black house spider’s web.

Yes, funnel webs cannot climb, unless it is in Toowoomba where they have a tree funnel-web, but even so a window recess would not interest it at all. The only other spider common to that habitat is a harmless grey house-spider that is similar to a red-back except grey. The mantid would eat either spider.

PermeateFree said:

Speedy said:

Interesting observation.

If it’s a funnel-shaped web in the windows though, it’s likely to be a Black house spider’s web.

Yes, funnel webs cannot climb, unless it is in Toowoomba where they have a tree funnel-web, but even so a window recess would not interest it at all. The only other spider common to that habitat is a harmless grey house-spider that is similar to a red-back except grey. The mantid would eat either spider.

good size black spider here make webs like that, use to bring them inside with the stumps, but soon learned otherwise, they mostly stay up high out the way

guessing be same sort maybe

transition said:

PermeateFree said:

Speedy said:

Interesting observation.

If it’s a funnel-shaped web in the windows though, it’s likely to be a Black house spider’s web.

Yes, funnel webs cannot climb, unless it is in Toowoomba where they have a tree funnel-web, but even so a window recess would not interest it at all. The only other spider common to that habitat is a harmless grey house-spider that is similar to a red-back except grey. The mantid would eat either spider.

good size black spider here make webs like that, use to bring them inside with the stumps, but soon learned otherwise, they mostly stay up high out the way

guessing be same sort maybe

We commonly call those the black house spider though it could easily be the window frame spider.

PermeateFree said:

Speedy said:

Interesting observation.

If it’s a funnel-shaped web in the windows though, it’s likely to be a Black house spider’s web.

Yes, funnel webs cannot climb, unless it is in Toowoomba where they have a tree funnel-web, but even so a window recess would not interest it at all. The only other spider common to that habitat is a harmless grey house-spider that is similar to a red-back except grey. The mantid would eat either spider.

It’s in Melbourne, it ain’t a funnel web spider.

sibeen said:

PermeateFree said:

Speedy said:

Interesting observation.

If it’s a funnel-shaped web in the windows though, it’s likely to be a Black house spider’s web.

Yes, funnel webs cannot climb, unless it is in Toowoomba where they have a tree funnel-web, but even so a window recess would not interest it at all. The only other spider common to that habitat is a harmless grey house-spider that is similar to a red-back except grey. The mantid would eat either spider.

It’s in Melbourne, it ain’t a funnel web spider.

If it is one of the southern funnelwebs it would probably be too smart to live in Melbourne but as PF said, they aren’t windowsill spiders.

sibeen said:

PermeateFree said:

Speedy said:

Interesting observation.

If it’s a funnel-shaped web in the windows though, it’s likely to be a Black house spider’s web.

Yes, funnel webs cannot climb, unless it is in Toowoomba where they have a tree funnel-web, but even so a window recess would not interest it at all. The only other spider common to that habitat is a harmless grey house-spider that is similar to a red-back except grey. The mantid would eat either spider.

It’s in Melbourne, it ain’t a funnel web spider.

It is not a Sydney Funnel Web, the really dangerous one. There’s a couple of dozen other species, but are not thought to be harmful to humans.

party_pants said:

sibeen said:

PermeateFree said:

Yes, funnel webs cannot climb, unless it is in Toowoomba where they have a tree funnel-web, but even so a window recess would not interest it at all. The only other spider common to that habitat is a harmless grey house-spider that is similar to a red-back except grey. The mantid would eat either spider.

It’s in Melbourne, it ain’t a funnel web spider.

It is not a Sydney Funnel Web, the really dangerous one. There’s a couple of dozen other species, but are not thought to be harmful to humans.

Nobody knows.

party_pants said:

sibeen said:

PermeateFree said:

Yes, funnel webs cannot climb, unless it is in Toowoomba where they have a tree funnel-web, but even so a window recess would not interest it at all. The only other spider common to that habitat is a harmless grey house-spider that is similar to a red-back except grey. The mantid would eat either spider.

It’s in Melbourne, it ain’t a funnel web spider.

It is not a Sydney Funnel Web, the really dangerous one. There’s a couple of dozen other species, but are not thought to be harmful to humans.

All of those funnel-web looking spiders live in burrows in the ground.

PermeateFree said:

party_pants said:

sibeen said:

It’s in Melbourne, it ain’t a funnel web spider.

It is not a Sydney Funnel Web, the really dangerous one. There’s a couple of dozen other species, but are not thought to be harmful to humans.

All of those funnel-web looking spiders live in burrows in the ground.

Apart from the tree funnel web.

sibeen said:

PermeateFree said:

Speedy said:

Interesting observation.

If it’s a funnel-shaped web in the windows though, it’s likely to be a Black house spider’s web.

Yes, funnel webs cannot climb, unless it is in Toowoomba where they have a tree funnel-web, but even so a window recess would not interest it at all. The only other spider common to that habitat is a harmless grey house-spider that is similar to a red-back except grey. The mantid would eat either spider.

It’s in Melbourne, it ain’t a funnel web spider.

Why would you say that?

The Victorian Funnel-Web Spider’s range includes Melbourne.

here is my pic of a mantis eating a fly… noms

https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/spiders/black-house-spider-badumna-insignis/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_house_spider#/media/File:Black_house_spider03.jpg

Arts said:

here is my pic of a mantis eating a fly… noms

looks guilty

Arts said:

here is my pic of a mantis eating a fly… noms

:) nice pov.

dv said:

Arts said:

here is my pic of a mantis eating a fly… noms

looks guilty

Not really, is about to run away with meal in case big human wants to pinch it off the table.

dv said:

Arts said:

here is my pic of a mantis eating a fly… noms

looks guilty

yeah, that was my fly he stole.

roughbarked said:

PermeateFree said:

party_pants said:

It is not a Sydney Funnel Web, the really dangerous one. There’s a couple of dozen other species, but are not thought to be harmful to humans.

All of those funnel-web looking spiders live in burrows in the ground.

Apart from the tree funnel web.

Thought we were talking about those around Melbourne, but up north there are big, black and hairy that can and do climb. The bird-eating spider is one of them.

Arts said:

here is my pic of a mantis eating a fly… noms

nice one, cool creatures

The webs of Black House Spiders have a ‘funnel-like’ shape, which is sometimes misunderstood as a Funnel-web Spider web. However, the two spiders are not at all similar in appearance, size or life history. The retreat of a true Funnel-web Spider is often less funnel-like and is usually a burrow in the ground. Some funnel webs have burrows in tree-trunk crevices but their web entrances are disguised with detritus (eg, bark) particles embedded in the silk, whereas the silk of Badumna webs is clean.

dv said:

sibeen said:

PermeateFree said:

Yes, funnel webs cannot climb, unless it is in Toowoomba where they have a tree funnel-web, but even so a window recess would not interest it at all. The only other spider common to that habitat is a harmless grey house-spider that is similar to a red-back except grey. The mantid would eat either spider.

It’s in Melbourne, it ain’t a funnel web spider.

Why would you say that?

The Victorian Funnel-Web Spider’s range includes Melbourne.

Because I’m obviously pig ignorant about arachnids and had no idea there was something called the Victorian Funnel-Web…that’s why!

stomps off

sibeen said:

dv said:

sibeen said:

It’s in Melbourne, it ain’t a funnel web spider.

Why would you say that?

The Victorian Funnel-Web Spider’s range includes Melbourne.

Because I’m obviously pig ignorant about arachnids and had no idea there was something called the Victorian Funnel-Web…that’s why!

stomps off

The Tarantulas that include the funnel-web spiders are very poorly known as being burrowing animals and the female rarely if ever leaves her burrow, they don’t spread much, so a single species can be hidden away in just a few hectares. New ones are being discovered all the time. Tasmania has a funnel-web spider too, although because of their book type lungs, their preferred habitat is a northern warm, humid climate, so many more species up there.

A big burrowing southern spider is the mouse spider that has a huge pair of fangs that can pierce fingernails. Not lethal, but can make a child of sickly adult much worse. Wise not to handle any of these ‎Mygalomorph spiders.

PermeateFree said:

sibeen said:

dv said:

Why would you say that?

The Victorian Funnel-Web Spider’s range includes Melbourne.

Because I’m obviously pig ignorant about arachnids and had no idea there was something called the Victorian Funnel-Web…that’s why!

stomps off

The Tarantulas that include the funnel-web spiders are very poorly known as being burrowing animals and the female rarely if ever leaves her burrow, they don’t spread much, so a single species can be hidden away in just a few hectares. New ones are being discovered all the time. Tasmania has a funnel-web spider too, although because of their book type lungs, their preferred habitat is a northern warm, humid climate, so many more species up there.

A big burrowing southern spider is the mouse spider that has a huge pair of fangs that can pierce fingernails. Not lethal, but can make a child of sickly adult much worse. Wise not to handle any of these ‎Mygalomorph spiders.

Female Mouse Spider

Male Mouse Spider

party_pants said:

sibeen said:

PermeateFree said:

Yes, funnel webs cannot climb, unless it is in Toowoomba where they have a tree funnel-web, but even so a window recess would not interest it at all. The only other spider common to that habitat is a harmless grey house-spider that is similar to a red-back except grey. The mantid would eat either spider.

It’s in Melbourne, it ain’t a funnel web spider.

It is not a Sydney Funnel Web, the really dangerous one. There’s a couple of dozen other species, but are not thought to be harmful to humans.

Umm. Atrax formidibilis? A tree-dwelling funnelweb that jumps onto its prey…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadronyche_formidabilis

Michael V said:

party_pants said:

sibeen said:

It’s in Melbourne, it ain’t a funnel web spider.

It is not a Sydney Funnel Web, the really dangerous one. There’s a couple of dozen other species, but are not thought to be harmful to humans.

Umm. Atrax formidibilis? A tree-dwelling funnelweb that jumps onto its prey…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadronyche_formidabilis

Also -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadronyche_cerberea

Michael V said:

party_pants said:

sibeen said:

It’s in Melbourne, it ain’t a funnel web spider.

It is not a Sydney Funnel Web, the really dangerous one. There’s a couple of dozen other species, but are not thought to be harmful to humans.

Umm. Atrax formidibilis? A tree-dwelling funnelweb that jumps onto its prey…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadronyche_formidabilis

sounds worse than a dropbear.

PermeateFree said:

roughbarked said:

PermeateFree said:

All of those funnel-web looking spiders live in burrows in the ground.

Apart from the tree funnel web.

Thought we were talking about those around Melbourne, but up north there are big, black and hairy that can and do climb. The bird-eating spider is one of them.

I think the bird-eating spider is one of the orb-weavers.

ChrispenEvan said:

Michael V said:

party_pants said:

It is not a Sydney Funnel Web, the really dangerous one. There’s a couple of dozen other species, but are not thought to be harmful to humans.

Umm. Atrax formidibilis? A tree-dwelling funnelweb that jumps onto its prey…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadronyche_formidabilis

sounds worse than a dropbear.

It’s what the original dropbear modelled itself on.

Michael V said:

PermeateFree said:

roughbarked said:

Apart from the tree funnel web.

Thought we were talking about those around Melbourne, but up north there are big, black and hairy that can and do climb. The bird-eating spider is one of them.

I think the bird-eating spider is one of the orb-weavers.

LOL, don’t think so.

PermeateFree said:

Michael V said:

PermeateFree said:

Thought we were talking about those around Melbourne, but up north there are big, black and hairy that can and do climb. The bird-eating spider is one of them.

I think the bird-eating spider is one of the orb-weavers.

LOL, don’t think so.

OK, I was wrong.

But some orb-weavers in north QLD catch and eat birds. IIRC.

PermeateFree said:

Michael V said:

PermeateFree said:

Thought we were talking about those around Melbourne, but up north there are big, black and hairy that can and do climb. The bird-eating spider is one of them.

I think the bird-eating spider is one of the orb-weavers.

LOL, don’t think so.

that’s big, but the carpet to the right of the hand has a suspiciously broader pile, and i’m sensing a vertical line too

transition said:

PermeateFree said:

Michael V said:

I think the bird-eating spider is one of the orb-weavers.

LOL, don’t think so.

that’s big, but the carpet to the right of the hand has a suspiciously broader pile, and i’m sensing a vertical line too

nah could be imagining it, perhaps it’s vaxed the carpet in that area

Michael V said:

PermeateFree said:

Michael V said:

I think the bird-eating spider is one of the orb-weavers.

LOL, don’t think so.

OK, I was wrong.

But some orb-weavers in north QLD catch and eat birds. IIRC.

The one shown is the largest spider from South America. The Australian one is a bit smaller, but still quite impressive:

Australian bird-eating spider

Scientific Name: Selenocosmia crassipes

This is one of several species of large, aggressive spiders, which are found in the warmer and more arid regions of Australia. The largest species may attain a body length of 60mm and a leg span of 160mm, with powerful fangs 10mm long. The colour varies from grey-brown to reddish, often with a silvery sheen. Some species are known as barking or whistling spiders because of the sounds they can produce by rubbing their palps (the appendages between the front legs) along a set of spines at the base of their fangs.
Habitat

The habitat ranges from sandy deserts to rainforests. These spiders construct long, silk-lined burrows or will utilise a log or rock for protection. The entrance to the burrow is surrounded by loose strands of web, which provide the spider with an advanced warning of approaching prey or danger.
Diet

Despite its common name, the bird-eating spider rarely eats birds. Occasionally, hatchling birds will be taken from nests on the ground, however, the bulk of the diet comprises insects, lizards, frogs, and other spiders. Although the fangs are long and robust and can easily penetrate human skin, the bite is not deadly. The venom is quite toxic, however, and bites may cause severe pain, nausea and profuse sweating.
Reproduction

The female bird-eating spider spends most of her life in her burrow. During spring or early summer. The male approaches the female’s burrow and entices her out, hopefully without becoming dinner, to mate at the entrance. The female lays about 50 eggs into a 30mm diameter sack several days later, which is stored in the burrow and protected by a tough cover of silk. If the female leaves the burrow to hunt, she will often take the egg sack with her, secured between the palps and fang tips. While females may live in excess of ten years, the male usually dies after mating at around five years of age.

PermeateFree said:

Michael V said:

PermeateFree said:

LOL, don’t think so.

OK, I was wrong.

But some orb-weavers in north QLD catch and eat birds. IIRC.

The one shown is the largest spider from South America. The Australian one is a bit smaller, but still quite impressive:

Australian bird-eating spider

Scientific Name: Selenocosmia crassipes

This is one of several species of large, aggressive spiders, which are found in the warmer and more arid regions of Australia. The largest species may attain a body length of 60mm and a leg span of 160mm, with powerful fangs 10mm long. The colour varies from grey-brown to reddish, often with a silvery sheen. Some species are known as barking or whistling spiders because of the sounds they can produce by rubbing their palps (the appendages between the front legs) along a set of spines at the base of their fangs.
Habitat

The habitat ranges from sandy deserts to rainforests. These spiders construct long, silk-lined burrows or will utilise a log or rock for protection. The entrance to the burrow is surrounded by loose strands of web, which provide the spider with an advanced warning of approaching prey or danger.
Diet

Despite its common name, the bird-eating spider rarely eats birds. Occasionally, hatchling birds will be taken from nests on the ground, however, the bulk of the diet comprises insects, lizards, frogs, and other spiders. Although the fangs are long and robust and can easily penetrate human skin, the bite is not deadly. The venom is quite toxic, however, and bites may cause severe pain, nausea and profuse sweating.
Reproduction

The female bird-eating spider spends most of her life in her burrow. During spring or early summer. The male approaches the female’s burrow and entices her out, hopefully without becoming dinner, to mate at the entrance. The female lays about 50 eggs into a 30mm diameter sack several days later, which is stored in the burrow and protected by a tough cover of silk. If the female leaves the burrow to hunt, she will often take the egg sack with her, secured between the palps and fang tips. While females may live in excess of ten years, the male usually dies after mating at around five years of age.

Thanks.

transition said:

transition said:

PermeateFree said:

LOL, don’t think so.

that’s big, but the carpet to the right of the hand has a suspiciously broader pile, and i’m sensing a vertical line too

nah could be imagining it, perhaps it’s vaxed the carpet in that area

Usually they have a sheet of glass with the spider on top, whilst the hand is below, but they still very big and are often called puppies.

PermeateFree said:

transition said:

transition said:

that’s big, but the carpet to the right of the hand has a suspiciously broader pile, and i’m sensing a vertical line too

nah could be imagining it, perhaps it’s vaxed the carpet in that area

Usually they have a sheet of glass with the spider on top, whilst the hand is below, but they still very big and are often called puppies.

make a nice pet

best I get is huntsmans, I really like them, lady not so much

Speedy said:

Interesting observation.

If it’s a funnel-shaped web in the windows though, it’s likely to be a Black house spider’s web.

I often see spiders living between bricks/masonry that make neat funnel shaped webs.

They don’t appear very aggressive, even while I tend my garden adjacent to their web
Live & Let Live:
the spidey benefits from my plants that lure in munchie insects
and I benefit from the free chemical-free insect control
Works out quite well for the both of us

Michael V said:

PermeateFree said:

roughbarked said:

Apart from the tree funnel web.

Thought we were talking about those around Melbourne, but up north there are big, black and hairy that can and do climb. The bird-eating spider is one of them.

I think the bird-eating spider is one of the orb-weavers.

No.

Australian funnel web spider:
Is part of : Mygalomorphae or mygalomorphs are an infraorder of spiders. The name is derived from the Greek mygalē, meaning “shrew”, plus morphē meaning form or shape. An older name for the group is Orthognatha, derived from the orientation of the fangs which point straight down and do not cross each other (as they do in the araneomorphs).
Which is where they relate to Tarantulas.

The orbweavers:

roughbarked said:

Australian funnel web spider:
Is part of : Mygalomorphae or mygalomorphs are an infraorder of spiders. The name is derived from the Greek mygalē, meaning “shrew”, plus morphē meaning form or shape. An older name for the group is Orthognatha, derived from the orientation of the fangs which point straight down and do not cross each other (as they do in the araneomorphs).
Which is where they relate to Tarantulas.

The orbweavers:

Therefore the funnel webs:
Are mygalomorphs as are the tarantulas.

Just at 5:30, I put the recycling bin out and came straight back inside to use some of my toilet paper stocks and as I dropped my pants on the floor a spider fell out. Yes, it was the good old Aussie redback.
Mind, I didn’t let it find its way back into my pants.

Ogmog said:

Speedy said:

Interesting observation.

If it’s a funnel-shaped web in the windows though, it’s likely to be a Black house spider’s web.

I often see spiders living between bricks/masonry that make neat funnel shaped webs.

They don’t appear very aggressive, even while I tend my garden adjacent to their web
Live & Let Live:
the spidey benefits from my plants that lure in munchie insects
and I benefit from the free chemical-free insect control
Works out quite well for the both of us

Imagine a world without flies?
It would stink worse than shiploads of dead skunks in the middle of the road.
Imagine a world without spiders? We’d be up to our necks in flies.
Imagine a world without birds and praying mantids? We’d be up to our tits in spiders.

Speedy said:

Interesting observation.

If it’s a funnel-shaped web in the windows though, it’s likely to be a Black house spider’s web.

Thanks. I was hoping so.

What’s the biggest orb weaver in Australia?

This one from Perth was plenty big enough for me, similar dimensions to a large huntsman, say 6 to 7 cm overall, not up to eating pardalotes.

mollwollfumble said:

Speedy said:

Interesting observation.

If it’s a funnel-shaped web in the windows though, it’s likely to be a Black house spider’s web.

Thanks. I was hoping so.

Well it is.

mollwollfumble said:

What’s the biggest orb weaver in Australia?

This one from Perth was plenty big enough for me, similar dimensions to a large huntsman, say 6 to 7 cm overall, not up to eating pardalotes.

Nephila edulis.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

What’s the biggest orb weaver in Australia?

This one from Perth was plenty big enough for me, similar dimensions to a large huntsman, say 6 to 7 cm overall, not up to eating pardalotes.

Nephila edulis.

Bear Grylls would think that a likely snack.

oops. It seems I got a link doubled up where that wasn’t what I meant.
Anyway, Orb Weavers are not directly related to the tarantulas or the funnel-webs other than by being arachnids.

mollwollfumble said:

What’s the biggest orb weaver in Australia?

This one from Perth was plenty big enough for me, similar dimensions to a large huntsman, say 6 to 7 cm overall, not up to eating pardalotes.

yeah they get big, see a lot here in wet summer