Money spider

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About Money spider-

• The species is called so as it is “believed to bring luck” to the person who comes in contact with it.
• The spider belongs to the family of dwarf spiders ( Linyphiidae) under the genus Prosoponoides. 
• Linyphiidae spiders are commonly known as sheet weavers (from the shape of their webs).
• The newest such genus is Himalafurca from Nepal, formally described in April 2021.
• Only six species of spiders belonging to this genus have been identified from across the world so far. 
• The male and the female money spiders are typically 3 mm and 4 mm long respectively. 
• Both sexes are dark brown and have irregular silver patches and black spots on the elliptical abdomen.
• Females build triangular webs in between dry tree twigs and feed on small insects, while males prefer to hide beneath dry leaves. 
• Two or more male spiders can be found in the web of a single female.
• Money spiders are known for drifting through the air via a technique termed “ballooning”.
• Money spiders are known to prey on aphids, springtails, flies, and other spiders.
• They are regarded as biological control agents against many pests species.

• Spiders of this family occur nearly worldwide and in Norway many species have been found walking on snow at temperatures of down to -7 °C.

About ant-mimicking spider-

• The ant-mimicking spider has been named Toxeus alboclavus. 
• They mimic ants by lifting their front pair of legs while walking as a mechanism to escape from potential predators. 
• Only three species of this genus have been reported from India, and this is the first species reported from the Western Ghats.
• The male and the female spiders of this species grow up to 4 mm and 6 mm long respectively. 
• A pair of white stripes on the dark brown abdomen of females makes them distinct from other spiders of this group. 

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