Castianeira

The Castianeira belongs to the family of corinnid sac spiders, indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, comprising 127 species according to the April 2019 records.

Scientific Classification

• Family: Corinnidae
• Genus: Castianeira

Spiders Belonging To This Genus

Physical Description & Identification

Adults

Size: They have a length of about 5mm to 10mm.

Color: They are red or brown, similar to the color of ants.They also have a white, scaly appearance on their abdomen.

Other Characteristic Features: Species belonging to this genus has eight eyes arranged in a curved manner in rows of two. The longest leg is one at the rear end, while the second in terms of length is the pair in the front.

Eggs

The eggs remain in a silken sac, which is white and circular, attached to rocks or stones nearby.

Spiderlings

The spiderlings of many species of this genus move around independently since the beginning.

The Web

Not much detail prevails regarding their web, though they make silken sacs adjacent to their resting places.

Are Species of the Castianeira Genus Poisonous and Do They Bite

They bite in a bid to defend themselves from danger, though their sting is not harmful. 

Quick Facts

Lifespan	Approximately one year
Distribution	Parts of Africa, Asia, and, America
Habitat	Parks, shrubs, woods
Diet	Small insects, and ants

Did You Know

• German arachnologist Eugen von Keyserling described this species for the first time in the year 1979.
• Certain species of this group mimic certain types of ants, either in terms of their body structure, that is, or even behavior. This is their way of shielding themselves against predators.

Image Credits: bugguide.net