Water Spider
Argyroneta aquatica
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Unusually
for spiders,
this
creature lives underwater,
although
it is also able
to
live
above the water's surface.
Habitat
Water spiders are found in freshwater lakes and ponds.
Moving around
They use their
legs to swim, and also to walk on vegetation.
Feeding
They eat: phantom midge larvae, water mites and mayfly nymphs. Water spiders are carnivorous.
They
are eaten by: fish and frogs.
Reproduction
The male is larger than the female, which is unusual in the world of spiders.
Water spiders create a ‘bell-shaped’ nest out of silk. It is here that they spend most of their time. The eggs are laid in the upper part of the female's shelter which is partitioned off. She can lay between 30 and 70 eggs.
The young spiders
hatch out into the water, but don’t make shelters for themselves
straight away. They use empty snail shells instead, which they fill with
air.
Breathing
The nest contains air bubbles from which the spider breathes.
They don’t need to replenish this air pocket, as oxygen diffuses from the surrounding water and carbon dioxide diffuses out.
When swimming in the water they carry air on fine hairs on their abdomen, which gives the spiders a silvery appearance.
Water spiders
breathe through two small openings on the underside of their abdomen.
These openings connect to lung-like organs.
