Dolomedes minor
| Dolomedes minor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Female guards nursery web | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Family: | Pisauridae |
| Genus: | Dolomedes |
| Species: | D. minor |
| Binomial name | |
| Dolomedes minor (L. Koch, 1876) | |
Dolomedes minor, also known as the nursery web spider (not to be confused with members of the family Pisauridae), is a large fishing spider endemic to New Zealand. Female spiders can have a legspan of over 60 mm.
The spider is a pale brown colour, with lighter brown or grey stripes running along the lateral edges of the body. Other stripes and markings help it blend in with its environment, including a stripe running through the middle of its body to the middle of its abdomen - which is less prominent in its relative D. aquaticus.
Male, demonstrating the ability to walk on water
References
- Encyclopaedia of New Zealand 1966 - 'SPIDER, NURSERY'
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research - Dolomedes minor (Koch)
- Te Papa - Nursery Web Spiders
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dolomedes minor. |