Spiders moving around
Photo: Arne Ader
Translation Liis
Raft spider
Raft spider Hiidämblik Dolomedes fimbriatus
In such a non-existent winter raft spiders have already been seen moving around. The really big creatures that prefer moist surroundings can be encountered in very differing places.
Raft spiders can be recognized by the white band on a brown body, see Arne’s photo. They have 8 feet, prey is hunted with the aid of the compound eyes – raft spiders won’t make a web. As is quite common among spiders the female is larger than the male, the difference in body length is sometimes more than 20 millimetres, the measures of the ”stronger sex” are half the size of females. Legs included the diameter of some larger individual may reach 7 centimetres. The raft spiders can even bite a careless handler.
In summer an observant watcher may notice them moving on the surface of fresh waters like a water boatman (Corixa sp) and when necessary even diving: in stationary or extremely slowly moving water. On diving a raft spider looks silvery, their body hairs take along extremely small air bubbles on the dive …
Arachnophobia or fear of spiders is by the way said to be one of the most widely spread phobias in the world.
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