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Water spider: Difference between revisions
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== Introduction == | == Introduction == | ||
The A. aquatica is the one and only spider to live permanently underwater. It has a thin layer of oxygen trapped against it's body to breathe, and only goes to the water's surface to replenish oxygen[[http://www.bogleech.com/bio-spiders2.html 7]]. This particular spider's body is greatly adapted to water, hence the name, the water spider. This spider is: 1. the only spider that lives underwater the entirity of it's life, 2. one of the only spiders that the males tend to be bigger than the females in size, and 3. one of the only spiders where the male's devour the females after reproducing[[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7088/is_3_33/ai_n28320550/ 4]]. | The ''A. aquatica'' is the one and only spider to live permanently underwater. It has a thin layer of oxygen trapped against it's body to breathe, and only goes to the water's surface to replenish oxygen[[http://www.bogleech.com/bio-spiders2.html 7]]. This particular spider's body is greatly adapted to water, hence the name, the water spider. This spider is: 1. the only spider that lives underwater the entirity of it's life, 2. one of the only spiders that the males tend to be bigger than the females in size, and 3. one of the only spiders where the male's devour the females after reproducing[[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7088/is_3_33/ai_n28320550/ 4]]. The bite of ''A. aquatica'' is not deadly, but to humans the bite can be very irritating and itchy for some time. | ||
== Anatomy == | == Anatomy == | ||
[[File:example.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Description]] | [[File:example.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Description]] | ||
The water spider's body is greatly adapted to the water. Fine setae covers the opisthosoma which is used as an aquatic | The water spider's body is greatly adapted to the water. Fine setae covers the opisthosoma which is used as an aquatic | ||
lung that allows the spider to breathe under water by the setae trapping an air bubble against the spider's body and connected to the tracheal spiracles. The oxygen in the water surrounding the air-bell is diffused which can be exchanged in the tracheal system the normal way. Oxygen and Carbon dioxide can be increased and decreased so that the air bubble replenishes it's air[[http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_Congress/JoA_v30_n2/arac-30-02-189.pdf 2]]. The female water spiders can grow to 8mm all the way to 15mm, the male can grow up to 9mm to 12mm. Although the female has a greater range, the male tends to be bigger to some degree than the females in most cases[[http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th11f(5).htm 3]]. | lung that allows the spider to breathe under water by the setae trapping an air bubble against the spider's body and connected to the tracheal spiracles. The oxygen in the water surrounding the air-bell is diffused which can be exchanged in the tracheal system the normal way. Oxygen and Carbon dioxide can be increased and decreased so that the air bubble replenishes it's air[[http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_Congress/JoA_v30_n2/arac-30-02-189.pdf 2]]. The female water spiders can grow to 8mm all the way to 15mm, the male can grow up to 9mm to 12mm and are both light to dark yellow-brown. Although the female has a greater range, the male tends to be bigger to some degree than the females in most cases[[http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th11f(5).htm 3]]. | ||
Like every other spider, the water spider has a cephalothorax and an abdomen | |||
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== Ecology == | == Ecology == | ||
[[File:example.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Description]] | [[File:example.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Description]] | ||
Water spiders can be found mainly throughout Britain, but can be seen in Central and Northern Europe, Northern Asia, and Siberia. The water spider | Water spiders can be found mainly throughout Britain, but can be seen in Central and Northern Europe, Northern Asia, and Siberia. The water spider helps the environment by buzzing around the water in between plants and capturing and eating it's prey with poison. Because they live in ponds and streams and lakes, getting rid of pests is good. So just like other spiders killing annoying pests on land, the water spider rids of the same thing, but underwater. | ||
You can find them anywhere from ponds, slow moving streams, shallow lakes, and basically wherever you can find lots of aquatic vegetation in the above locations[[http://www.arkive.org/water-spider/argyroneta-aquatica/info.html#reference_1 1]]. The environment is perfect for the water spider since the spider won't float off down the stream or into another part of the water, it tends to be Southern-bias though. The water spider spends the almost their entire life in the water, so the main habitat, Britain, for the Argyroneta aquatica is ideal for them, since Britain is covered on every side by water.[[http://wbrc.org.uk/WorcRecd/Issue9/watspidr.htm 6]] | You can find them anywhere from ponds, slow moving streams, shallow lakes, and basically wherever you can find lots of aquatic vegetation in the above locations[[http://www.arkive.org/water-spider/argyroneta-aquatica/info.html#reference_1 1]]. The environment is perfect for the water spider since the spider won't float off down the stream or into another part of the water, it tends to be Southern-bias though. The water spider spends the almost their entire life in the water, so the main habitat, Britain, for the Argyroneta aquatica is ideal for them, since Britain is covered on every side by water.[[http://wbrc.org.uk/WorcRecd/Issue9/watspidr.htm 6]] | ||
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*6 [http://wbrc.org.uk/WorcRecd/Issue9/watspidr.htm Argyroneta Surfaces Again] John Partridge, WBRC, date unknown. | *6 [http://wbrc.org.uk/WorcRecd/Issue9/watspidr.htm Argyroneta Surfaces Again] John Partridge, WBRC, date unknown. | ||
*7 [http://www.bogleech.com/bio-spiders2.html] Jonathan C. Wojcik, Bogleech, date unknown. | *7 [http://www.bogleech.com/bio-spiders2.html] Jonathan C. Wojcik, Bogleech, date unknown. | ||
*8 [http://www.example.com Cybaeidae Argyroneta] Ed Nieuwenhuys, March 2007. | |||
* [http://www.example.com reference title] author, publisher, date. | |||
* [http://www.example.com reference title] author, publisher, date. reference title] author, publisher, date. | |||
* [http://www.example.com reference title] author, publisher, date. | |||
* [http://www.example.com reference title] author, publisher, date. | |||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
* [http://www.example.com reference title] author, publisher, date. | * [http://www.example.com reference title] author, publisher, date. | ||
