#mastophora

[apsciencebylyn]

Ok 2025, this is a quality start! Was not expecting to see an adult bolas spider this time of year 😍

She's barely alive, might be at the end of her life, or caught by the recent freeze (they're usually deceased by winter). Sleep well, lovely Lump. 🤎

I've only seen 3 bolas spiders ever.

Mastophora sp

[jadafitch]

Female bolas spiders mimic the sex-pheromones of moths, luring them close enough to snag with their fishing line. A sticky blob on the end of silk thread, rather than the traditional orb web.

[calosoma-amitch]

Bolas spider (Mastophora sp.), Newark DE. September 2017.

A very common spider in the eastern US, bolas spiders are perhaps one of the most fascinating. First, they appear as freshly deposited bird droppings (due to their glistening carapace) that deters animals from considering them a meal.

Second, their feeding strategy: bolas spiders gain their names from making a swinging around a single strand of silk (with a sticky glob of silk at the end) to capture insects as they fly by. Some bolas spiders are even capable of mimicking the pheromones of moths to lure in unsuspecting males. 

Finally, their reproductive physiology. When spiders hatch from their eggs, the females are immature, whereas the males are capable of sexual reproduction upon birth. This is believed to be an evolutionary strategy to prevent inbreeding, but still surprising. 

[apsciencebylyn]

Bolas spider lass orders a vibrator, and it's a life-sized male bolas spider model

Mastophora phrynosoma female with several males? - Mastophora phrynosoma

An online resource devoted to North American insects, spiders and their kin, offering identification, images, and information.