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American Nursery Web Spider

Pisaurina mira

The American Nursery Web Spider is a friendly spider that likes to live in gardens and fields. It has long legs and can be spotted easily as it hunts for insects to eat.

Habitat: Gardens and fields

Appearance

The American Nursery Web Spider has a slender, pale brown to gray body, often with a distinctive dark stripe running down its back. Its long, spiny legs extend radially, giving it a somewhat crab-like appearance. Unlike web-building spiders, it lacks prominent spinnerets for large capture webs.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassArachnidaOrderAraneaeFamilyPisauridaeGenusPisaurina
American Nursery Web Spider
solitary trait badgeweb_builder trait badgecamouflaged trait badgegrassland trait badge
American Nursery Web Spider

Category

Insects

Rarity

Common

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Snaps

Be the first to snap!

Interesting facts

A mother spider guards her silk nursery tent until her babies emerge!

Female spiders carry their large egg sac in their mouthparts until it's time!

They can sprint across water to catch insects or escape predators!

Unlike most spiders, they don't use webs to catch their meals!

Special abilities

Ability

Master of Disguise

American Nursery Web Spider can blend perfectly into vegetation because of its camouflaged body, helping them ambush prey undetected.

Ability

Silk Nursery Builder

American Nursery Web Spider can create a protective silk tent for its eggs and newly hatched young, safeguarding them from predators.

Ability

Water Walker

American Nursery Web Spider has specialized leg hairs that allow it to skim across the surface of water, helping it hunt aquatic insects.

Ability

Prey Pounce

American Nursery Web Spider can rapidly chase and pounce on unsuspecting insects because of its keen eyesight and swift legs.

Measurements & details

Size
10-16 mm
Lifespan
365-730 days
Leg Count
8

Diet & Feeding

These spiders are predators that hunt a variety of small insects and other invertebrates.

Primary Foods

  • grasshoppers
  • flies
  • crickets
  • caterpillars
  • small spiders

Foraging Method

  • Pursuit

Ecological connections

eaten by

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

a common bird predator

eaten by

Common Wasp

Vespula vulgaris

some wasps can prey on spiders

hunts

House Cricket

Acheta domesticus

a common prey item

hunts

House Fly

Musca domestica

a swift airborne insect prey

Traits

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Spiders are usually not dangerous, but it's best to watch them from a distance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big is American Nursery Web Spider?

10-16 mm

How long does American Nursery Web Spider live?

365-730 days

What does American Nursery Web Spider eat?

These spiders are predators that hunt a variety of small insects and other invertebrates.

Where is American Nursery Web Spider usually found?

Gardens and fields

How does American Nursery Web Spider hunt?

Pursuit

How many legs does American Nursery Web Spider have?

8

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Where to spot

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