UAE SPIDERS
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Spider Families - A to M
Family Theraphosidae
Ischnocolus sp. A
Ischnocolus sp. A. Waits by night in ambush in the mouth of its burrow
Ischnocolus sp. B A specimen photographed in daylight, alive in vitro.
A burrow with multiple entrances, in a soft layer in a wadi bank.
Ischnocolus sp. B Perched outside the mouth of its burrow in firm gravel substrate.
Ischnocolus sp. B A preserved specimen.
Ischnocolus sp C Photographed wandering in Northernmost Ras Al-khaimah.
Family Agelenidae
Front view of cf Benoitia lepida.
A close-up dorsal view of the cf Benoitia lepida
Darker-hued cf Benoitia lepida from the mountain front of west of Hatta
A funnel web constructed by cf Benoitia, along Wadi Asfani
A dusty funnel with hanging eggs capsules of cf Benoitia lepida
Family Araneidae
Argiope cf sector, ventral view showing "Mickey mouse" or "Teddy bear" face.
Argiope cf versicolor from Fujairah tomato patch showing female upperside and elongated white egg cases.
Argiope cf versicolor showing distinctive underside of the female.
A profile view of Argiope cf sector, showing domed carapace of the adult female.
An Argiope species observed at Wadi Qinan.
Dorsal view of the unidentified Argiope spider from Wadi Wurayah National Park.
An unidentified Argiope species observed in Wadi Wurayah National Park, showing distinctive ventral colour pattern.
A pair of Argiope cf sector in web. Large female and smaller male.
A semi-cylindrical "tent" or "dome" web of Cyrtophora cf citricola in the salt marsh of Khor Hulaylah, Ra's Al-Khaimah.
A tent web in a shrub on the ridge over looking Khor Haffah in the southern Musandam.
An elongated egg capsule suspended in a web of Cyrtophora cf citricola at Khor Hulaylah.
Larinia cf acuticauda, dorsal view of the female at Mushrif Park, Dubai
Larinia cf chloris, dorsal view, Ruwayah plantation, Dubai
Larinia cf acuticauda ventral view of female, Khor Hulaylah, Ra's Al-Khaimah.
Larinia cf chloris, ventral view, Ruwayah plantation, Dubai
"Cantaloupe weaver" from Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve
Unidentified Araneid under possible genus of Aculepeira, Araneus and Neoscona.
"Downcurved hook" of abdomen, is characteristic of Larinia acuticauda
The egg capsule of Argiope cf sector suspended in a dense Euphorbia larica.
Abdomen of the Cyrtophora cf citricola female features three paired, conical proturberances.
Ventral view of the builder of the web, a probable Cyrtophora cf citricola
An Araneus angulatus female in upper Wadi Hiluw showing characteristic markings.
A dorsal view of Araneus angulatus showing dark colouration of the dorsal femurs.
Araneidae sp A, female from grounds of Madinat Jumeirah resort, Dubai
Araneidae sp A, colourful female from the landscaped grounds of Emirates Towers, Dubai
Larinia cf acuticauda, dorsal view of female among the salt marsh of Khor Hulaylah, Ra's Al-Khaimah.
Three unidentified Araneidae spiders
Dorsal view of a Cyrtophora cf citricola female in vitro.
Argiope cf sector view of female in Wadi Zikt, showing pale, creamy white colouration.
Neoscona cf sodom, ventral view of the female from palm plantations at Khatt, Ra's Al-Khaimah.
Larinia cf chloris perched on a reed, Ruwayah plantation, Dubai
Neoscona cf sodom, female in Wadi Wurayah, Fujairah
Araneidae sp B, large orb-weaver from the landscaped grounds of Emirates towers, Dubai
Larinia cf chloris, showing finely-spaced concentric rings of its orb-web.
Family Dictynidae
Dictynidae Sp A, close-up of a female.
Dictynidae Sp A, female in its shelter.
Family Eresidae
Stegodyphus cf lineatus from Sharjah Desert.
Front view of Stegodyphus cf lineatus from Sharjah Desert.
Gross view of a web of Stegodyphus nathistmus
Stegodyphus nathistmus, anterior view showing face mask and abdomen bears two subdued dorso-lateral stripes.
Stegodyphus gen sp from Sharjah Desert.
Another retreat of Stegodyphus nathistmus, without a web.
Stegodyphus nathistmus, profile showing unusual pattern of eyes.
Close-up of the retreat of Stegodyphus nathistmus
Flared entrance to a burrow of Stegodyphus cf lineatus
Stegodyphus nathistmus dorsal view.
Family Eutichuridae
Cheiracanthium sp A, dorsal view.
Cheiracanthium sp A has been found in mesic synanthropic environments.
Family Filistatidae
Sahastata cf nigra lurking in the mouth of its burrow by night.
Sahastata cf nigra in vitro by day.
Flared burrow entrance of Sahastata cf nigra.
Filistata cf insidiatrix, female perched by night in the mouth of her burrow.
Cluster of burrows of Filistata cf insidiatrix in a stone retaining wall.
Filistata cf insidiatrix, female, later view.
The dark colouration, reflectiveness and defensive posture of Sahastata cf nigra make it difficult to take revealing photos in the field.
A close-up of the burrow sacs of Filistata cf insidiatrix.
Filistata cf insidiatrix, female, dorsal view, at a plantation on the Gulf of Oman.
Family Gnaphosidae
Drassodes sp, from Endurance village, Dubai
Gnaphosidae gen sp, the 2 mm female ant-mimic spider seen in vitro captured from Wadi Hiluw, Sharjah.
A probable Pterotricha sp photographed by day in the desert south of the Abu Dhabi Truck Road.
Drassodes sp, the dark eyes and fangs are clearly visible in vitro.
Pterotricha sp on a sand sheet at Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.
Unidentified Gnaphosid under large Acacia tree on a gravel terrace in the Hajar Mountain foothills near Siji.
Drassodes sp A, dorsal view on sand flats near Motor city, Dubai
Close-up of an open Pterotricha burrow at Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.
This Gnaphosid spider was found by night on the horizontal trunk of a toppled but living Acacia tree.
Pterotricha sp, dorsal view of the specimen with greatly elongated spinnerets.
Pterotrichia sp, front view for a preserved female specimen from Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.
Family Hersiliidae
Hersiliola cf macullulata , from Wadi Wurayah.
Family Linyphiidae
Family Lycosidae
Dorsal view of Evippa arenaria from the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, Dubai
Evippa arenaria female from Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, Dubai
Evippinae sp, most common spider found in dry Hajar Mountain wadis.
Hogna radiata, frontal view of male.
Hogna radiata female, showing the relatively flat head area.
Hogna radiata, dorsal view of a large male.
Front view of Hippasa cf agelenoides in its web near Hatta.
Dorsal view of Hippasa cf agelenoides near Hatta.
Female Pardosa sp carrying its newly-hatched offspring on its back.
A typical female of Pardosa sp A from Wadi Hassatayn, near Hatta.
A typical female Pardosa from Wadi Asfani.
Evippinae gen sp, preserved specimen, showing the inflected margins of the medial stripe on the carapace.
Wadicosa fidelis, male, showing characteristic urn-shaped marking on the carapace.
Wadicosa fidelis, cyptic female difficult to distinguish from some other lycosid females.
Male of Pardosa sp A, displaying white and black pedipalps.
A female Pardosa sp carrying its egg case.
Lycosa gen sp, oblique view of the spider showing its face.
Evippa arenaria from Endurance village, Dubai
Evippinae gen sp, female carrying newborn spiderlings.
A suspected Lycosidae burrow in the desert south of Ra's Al-Khaimah city.
Lycosidae gen sp, on a damp sand near Umm az-Zamool, in the south-east of the UAE.
Evippineae gen sp, dorsal view of the species showing pale, parallel-sided median stripe on the carapace.
Special thanks to Ajmal Hassan, Maryam Al Haddad, Peter Roosenschoon, Priscilla Van Andel, Richard Hornby, Ryan Ingram.