Arachnida

Calisoga

Class Order Family Species

Arachnida Araneae Nemesiidae longitarsus (formerly ) www.bugpeople.org

Range Reproduction Special Adaptations

California and Growth: gradual, molts several times These are not Nevada Egg: many eggs are encased in an egg sac made of silk poisonous to humans Adults: males become sexually mature after their last molt and die although they will bite if after one mating season. The females live longer than the molested. Calisoga Habitat males and continue to molt about once a year after spiders are about the becoming sexually mature. same size as the local Chaparral, Behavior: mating season is in the fall and this is the times when California Tarantula grassland scrub these spiders are most likely to be found wandering (family: Theraphosidae; about. species: Aphonopelma Life Span: several years eutylenum) but they are Niche in a different family of spiders. It is possible to Common Physical Characteristics tell them apart by the throughout the color (Calisoga spiders inner coastal range Mouthparts: chelicerate, fangs are perpendicular to the body line. A are more grayish of northern duct from a poison gland opens from the base of each brown ), the shorter California. A fang. The mouth and jaws are on the underside of the hairs and more burrow is head area (cephalothorax). aggressive behavior of constructed and Pedipalps: the first pair of appendages, leg like in appearance but the Calisoga spider. the upper fourth is shorter lined with silk Legs: 4 pairs, hairy which spreads out Spinnerets: a pair of these silk producing structures are located at the Sources from the burrow’s tip of the abdomen mouth. Color: grayish brown (23). Body: short hairs covering body, length of female is 25-46mm, the male is approximately 15mm Diet Mature males can be differentiated from females due to the presence of a Nature: Predators hook on each of their first pair of legs. of any small enough for them to handle Captivity: 1 cricket per week

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Updated 2010: SaveNature.Org • 699 Mississippi Street • Suite 106 • San Francisco, CA 94107 • [email protected] Original: Written by Leslie Saul and Esther Julier, LITES Project, Oakland, California © National Science Foundation, 1994