Common name: Desert Velvet Spider

Scientific name: Stegodyphus lineatus

Family: Eresidae

Size:

Female body length: 10–23 mm

Male body length: 8–15 mm

Identification:

A velvet spider whose abdomen is covered in white hairs and marked with two lengthwise black stripes. The four central eyes sit close together in a square and the four side eyes are widely spaced. Females are larger than males and have narrower black stripes.

Habitat:

Builds its webs usually on Acacia trees, occasionally between rocks or stones. Photographed in desert habitat in the UAE.

Status in the UAE:

Recorded by the photographer in the UAE desert. Not listed on the UAE National Red List.

Diet:

Small insects.

Behavior:

Stretches a hackle web between two points, with a small ball-shaped nest fixed to vegetation at one end where it rests during the day. Several spiders can share the same tree. Individuals seen on the same night had each built their nest differently, one on a branch under a flower and one on thick sand. Toxicity is rated low.

Conservation status:

UAE National Red List: Not listed

Global: Not Evaluated (NE)