Meta bourneti
Template:Short description Template:Speciesbox
Meta bourneti is an orb weaving cave spider closely related to Meta menardi.[1]
Morphology
Big sized spider (body length male: 10–13 mm; female: 13–16 mm), very similar in the external morphology to the congeneric Meta menardi. The prosoma is red-brown, with darker margin. Legs are red-brown. The opisthosoma is yellowish, laterally often completely black.[2]
Ecology
Usually found in caves, in the twilight-zone. The species show a preference for cave walls and roofs, where it spin its orb-web. M. bourneti is able to consume a wide variety of prey items, including dipterans, moths, centipedes, woodlouse, and other cave-dwelling spiders.[3]
Phenology
Female and juveniles are observed all year round. Males are rare, and usually found from August to December.
The eggsac (cocoon) is white, drop-shaped, and very similar to that of M. menardi (see [4]). It is usually laid in the proximity of the cave entrance between October and November. The spiderlings hatch from the cocoon between January and February.[3]
Distribution
It is found from Europe to Georgia and North Africa.[5]
References
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