About Arachnura feredayi (L.Koch, 1872)
Arachnura feredayi, commonly called the tailed forest spider or scorpion-tailed spider, is a spider species endemic to New Zealand. Females of this species have a distinctive tapering body shape, and females are much larger than males. This spider is also known for producing vertical columns of egg sacs within its webs. Arachnura feredayi is found across New Zealand, including the Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, the North Island, and the South Island. It inhabits forests and gardens. This species most often occurs in New Zealand's native forests, and is sometimes found in gardens. Compared to other orb web spiders, Arachnura feredayi typically builds its webs closer to the ground, positioning webs between dead leaf-bearing branches, bushes, and shrubs. It builds an orb web that usually sits close to the ground. This orb web always has an empty V-shaped sector with no spiral threads at the 12 o'clock position. During the reproductive season, male A. feredayi hide on the edges of the female's orb web, within the web's irregular threads. To approach the female, males vibrate one of the web's radial threads. Mating takes place on a special mating thread constructed next to the center of the web. After reproduction, the female may consume the male. Females deposit their egg sacs in a vertical column at the 12 o'clock position of the web. This vertical chain of egg sacs resembles a string of sausage links. A full chain can hold up to fifty eggs. The newest egg sac is always positioned closest to the central hub of the web. To maintain this placement, the female rebuilds her web every time she produces a new egg sac. The egg sacs are brown to camouflage against surrounding vegetation, and females rest directly below their column of egg sacs.
