Darwin’s bark spider (Caerostris darwini) is a producer of the largest silk web ever known. It was first discovered in Madagascar on November 24, 2009, and its family was discovered by a Swedish arachnologist in the year 1868. When spinning their webs, this spider makes them so tough, almost 10 times tougher than a similarly-sized piece of Kevlar. The toughness of the lines on their webs helps when it comes to catching prey and any description of their webs will include the facts that they are the longest spanning webs and that they are also among the toughest orb webs. Their web lines also act as a medium of communication for these spiders.After mating, the female spider often captures and eats part of the male spider in order to prevent the male spider from mating with other females. So, these female spiders are not only known for creating the largest orb webs and the toughest spider silk, but they are also pretty crafty creatures!If you like this, you might want to read about jewel spiders and yellow sac spiders too.
Fun Darwin’s Bark Spider Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Dragonfly, fleas, mayflies, aquatic insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? 0.02 oz (0.5g)
How long are they? Females: 0.7-0.9 in ( 1.7-2.2 cm) Males: 0.2 in (0.5 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, gray, white
Skin Type Hair
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Not Evaluated
Where you’ll find them? River, Or Creek, Near Water Bodies Like A Lake
Locations Madagascar
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Caerostris
Class Arachnida
Family Araneidae
Darwin’s Bark Spider Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is Darwin’s bark spider?Belonging to the genus Caerostris, this orb weaver is a wild spider.What class of animal does Darwin’s bark spider belong to?Darwin’s bark spider (scientific name: Caerostris darwini) is the weaver of the largest known silk web. The species belongs to the Arachnida class of animals. Producing the toughest biological material, these spiders belong to the Araneidae group of families.How many Darwin’s bark spiders are there in the world?Since their conservation status is not listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the exact number of Darwin’s bark spiders is quite difficult to count.Where does Darwin’s bark spider live?These orb weavers were first located and discovered on November 24, 2009, in the national park of Andasibe-Mantadia in Madagascar. They are spotted in forests near properties adjacent to water bodies in Madagascar.What is Darwin’s bark spider’s habitat?The habitat of this spider can be described as wet and marshy land adjacent to water bodies. This habitat is where they create the world’s largest and most complex web and silk material. These water bodies can be either a river, lakes, or small creeks. The adjacent areas are covered with dense forests. Who do Darwin’s bark spiders live with?These spiders, who are the producers of the toughest spider silk known, are known to live in small groups by water bodies.How long does Darwin’s bark spider live?The exact lifespan of this spider is not known, although spiders are mostly short-lived.How do they reproduce?These bark spiders (C. darwini) are sexually dimorphic beings. Mating occurs towards the center of the web created by the female. This happens with the help of spanning threads. Male spiders are known to mate with female spiders who have recently undergone a molt, in order to avoid being killed after mating. These spiders lay their eggs into a sac that is produced beforehand in the female’s body. The females lay up to a couple of hundred eggs in a single mating period and the spiderlings hatch within the mother’s body, developing here before they are released by the mother.What is their conservation status?According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the conservation status of this spider, the largest orb web producer, is not listed.Darwin’s Bark Spider Fun FactsWhat do Darwin’s bark spiders look like?A producer of tough silk, Darwin’s bark spider (C. darwini) is a sexually dimorphic species. Males and females have somewhat similar looks but dissimilar sizes, with the female being considerably larger. Most of them have black bodies. Females possess a black body with white hairs near the abdomen and on the other appendages. In contrast, males have a reddish or brownish hue with a similar distribution of hair. A description of females is likely to mention two humps on their cephalothorax, as this is a distinctive feature of these spiders. How cute are they?This tough silk-spinning species is anything but cute. To many, they are scary thanks to their creepy appearance!How do they communicate?This species mostly communicates by walking across the lines on their webs. Alongside other related members of their genus, this species creates a special web-weaving pattern to attract each other during the mating period.How big is Darwin’s bark spider?An average female Darwin’s bark spider (C. darwini) is measured to have a weight of around 0.02 oz (0.5 g). This species is not very large and the average Darwin’s bark spider size is almost half the size of a Nephila spider. A Nephila spider has an average length of 1.1-1.9 in (3-5 cm) while Darwin’s bark spider ranges from 0.2-0.9 in (0.5-2.2 cm).How fast can Darwin’s bark spider run?Although the species produces the longest and largest orb web of all spiders, their exact speed cannot be calculated as of now. More research into the species is required.How much does Darwin’s bark spider weigh?The average weight of this species for females is found to be 0.02 oz (0.5 g). Males are significantly smaller and, consequently, lighter.What are their male and female names of the species?There is no specific name assigned to females and males of this species.What would you call a baby Darwin’s bark spider?Most baby spiders are known as spiderlings, thus a baby Darwin’s bark spider is known as a spiderling.What do they eat?This ‘spider silk’ weaving spider feeds on dragonflies, fleas, mayflies, insects, and aquatic insects found in the river or the creek where it lives.Are they poisonous?A Darwin’s bark spider bite is a rare phenomenon and it contains an extremely low level of venom. Thus, they are not poisonous. However, the female is known to prey on the male after mating, often resulting in the capture and the death of the male spider.Would they make a good pet?Being a species found in the wild, this silk orb-web creator does not make a great pet for humans.Did you know…Darwin’s bark spider (scientific name: C. darwini) is among seven members of the bark spider family found residing in the forests of Madagascar.Since the species preys on and tries to catch flies, the spanning and the toughness of Darwin’s bark spider silk is so strong that the silk they produce can catch and hold up to 32 mayflies at a single time. Now that’s extreme toughness!How strong is Darwin’s bark spider’s web?Research in the field of science and materials has shown that the dragline silk used by Darwin’s bark spider (Caerostris darwini) is the strongest spider web. On top of being one of the strongest materials, it also forms one of the largest orb webs. This ‘spider silk’ web is the toughest that has been ever studied, being over 10 times tougher than Kevlar. The typical Darwin’s bark spider web strength is, in short, legendary. It is the toughest silk ever discovered from a spider!Where can Darwin’s bark spiders spin webs that no other spider can?Darwin’s bark spiders can spin webs like no other orb weaver spider over and across wide water bodies in the jungles of Madagascar. This is because they are the producers of the strongest, largest, and longest-length orb webs ever studied, producing a material that is over ten times tougher than a similarly sized piece of silk or Kevlar.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these David Bowie spider facts and Johnson jumping spider facts for kids.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable bark crab spider coloring pages.* Please note that the main image is of a common bark spider, similar to Darwin’s bark spider. If you have an image of Darwin’s bark spider, please let us know at [email protected]
What type of animal is Darwin’s bark spider?
Belonging to the genus Caerostris, this orb weaver is a wild spider.
Fun Darwin’s Bark Spider Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Dragonfly, fleas, mayflies, aquatic insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? 0.02 oz (0.5g)
How long are they? Females: 0.7-0.9 in ( 1.7-2.2 cm) Males: 0.2 in (0.5 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, gray, white
Skin Type Hair
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Not Evaluated
Where you’ll find them? River, Or Creek, Near Water Bodies Like A Lake
Locations Madagascar
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Caerostris
Class Arachnida
Family Araneidae
Fun Darwin’s Bark Spider Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Dragonfly, fleas, mayflies, aquatic insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? 0.02 oz (0.5g)
How long are they? Females: 0.7-0.9 in ( 1.7-2.2 cm) Males: 0.2 in (0.5 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, gray, white
Skin Type Hair
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Not Evaluated
Where you’ll find them? River, Or Creek, Near Water Bodies Like A Lake
Locations Madagascar
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Caerostris
Class Arachnida
Family Araneidae
Fun Darwin’s Bark Spider Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Dragonfly, fleas, mayflies, aquatic insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? 0.02 oz (0.5g)
How long are they? Females: 0.7-0.9 in ( 1.7-2.2 cm) Males: 0.2 in (0.5 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, gray, white
Skin Type Hair
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Not Evaluated
Where you’ll find them? River, Or Creek, Near Water Bodies Like A Lake
Locations Madagascar
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Caerostris
Class Arachnida
Family Araneidae
Fun Darwin’s Bark Spider Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Dragonfly, fleas, mayflies, aquatic insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? 0.02 oz (0.5g)
How long are they? Females: 0.7-0.9 in ( 1.7-2.2 cm) Males: 0.2 in (0.5 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, gray, white
Skin Type Hair
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Not Evaluated
Where you’ll find them? River, Or Creek, Near Water Bodies Like A Lake
Locations Madagascar
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Caerostris
Class Arachnida
Family Araneidae
What do they prey on? Dragonfly, fleas, mayflies, aquatic insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? 0.02 oz (0.5g)
How long are they? Females: 0.7-0.9 in ( 1.7-2.2 cm) Males: 0.2 in (0.5 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, gray, white
Skin Type Hair
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Not Evaluated
Where you’ll find them? River, Or Creek, Near Water Bodies Like A Lake
Locations Madagascar
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Caerostris
Class Arachnida
Family Araneidae
What do they prey on? Dragonfly, fleas, mayflies, aquatic insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? 0.02 oz (0.5g)
How long are they? Females: 0.7-0.9 in ( 1.7-2.2 cm) Males: 0.2 in (0.5 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, gray, white
Skin Type Hair
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Not Evaluated
What do they prey on?
Dragonfly, fleas, mayflies, aquatic insects
What do they eat?
Carnivore
Average litter size?
N/A
How much do they weigh?
0.02 oz (0.5g)
How long are they?
Females: 0.7-0.9 in ( 1.7-2.2 cm) Males: 0.2 in (0.5 cm)
How tall are they?
What do they look like?
Black, gray, white
Skin Type
Hair
What were their main threats?
Humans
What is their conservation status?
Not Evaluated
Where you’ll find them? River, Or Creek, Near Water Bodies Like A Lake
Locations Madagascar
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Caerostris
Class Arachnida
Family Araneidae
Where you’ll find them?
River, Or Creek, Near Water Bodies Like A Lake
Locations
Madagascar
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Caerostris
Kingdom
Animalia
Genus
Caerostris
Class Arachnida
Family Araneidae
