in summer
Gasteracantha kulii (Araneidae) [Japanese name : toge-gumo]
This is the kite
spider. This spider occupies the higher zones amongst trees,
a metre, and higher, above the ground.
The abdomen is wider than long, and black in colour with white markings and
with six thorny projections.
There is a theory of mimicking the seed of the plant with the bindieye that is choked to
the throat.
The legs are short. The spider sits headdown at the hub of the orb web during the day.
The mooring thred of the web of this spider is dotted with white threads. (Pay attention to the arrows.)
This is typically a tropical and sub-tropical species but its range extends as far as the Honshu
Island.
The length is 7-8 mm.
It is found on four main islands in Japan - namely, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa.
