Bolas Spider

“How did she manage to get those up there without my noticing?” I asked myself. Three rough, dark globular egg sacs hung from the upper rail of the fence that cuts off access to Sunken City mere steps from my home. There was no mistaking what these were! Tough silk strands bound the egg sacs into place. Stepping off the path, I peered up into the sheltered niche made by the top rail and supporting stanchion where I knew she would be. Yep! A Southern Bolas Spider, one of the most peculiar animals of our most peculiar world.

Quite aside from being about as grotesque a creature as one can imagine, the female bolas spider hunts unlike any other spider. She does make a web, but it only serves to anchor her upside down to the substrate’s underside (superstrate, anyone?) and secure the egg sacs she produces.

She is called a bolas spider because her hunting technique reminded someone of the bolas used by Argentinian gauchos. As evening comes on and moths emerge from nearby grassy fields, she dangles a line of silk with a glob of superglue at the end. Then, she emits pheromones similar to those of female grass moths. When a male moth answers her call, she swings her bolas, clobbering his body. Wing scales can be shed to drop from a spider’s web, but the moth is defenseless against this blob. She reels him in. Dinner is served, madam!

PS She’s up to six egg sacs as I write, and a line of silk holds sixty eggs that were not there yesterday. If they are hers, perhaps they will be gathered into a seventh egg sac. If they are not hers, hmmm. Another of nature’s cliff hangers. You can be sure I’ll tune in tomorrow..