Ephebopus murinus and Urticating Hair

[Mojo Jojo]

I realize that E. murinus only has urticating hairs on their pedipalps. How effective are they at launching them into the air?Are they like other NW species in that they will often coat their burrows/hides/webbing in hairs?


Jon

 

[ahkiu]

i'm not sure but i think they don't them in the air as such more they physically rub them on to you.

 

[Mendi]

Yeah, that was what I was thinking, they kind of shove them into you without launching any. So if you are handleing it and it starts drumming, well, it's likely stabbing you with hundreds of hairs

 

[Martin H.]

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During his lecture about the "morphology and evolution of urticating hairs in theraphosid spiders" in Stuttgart Saturday 04th October 2003, Dr. Rogerio Bertani told that Ephebopus do also launch them in the air. If you want to test this, he suggested to put a water bowl in front ot the spider and to tease it – then you can see the urticating hairs swimming on the water surface!

all the best,
Martin

www.spiderpix.com
www.dearge.de

 

[Aviculariinae]

All very true,but e murinus would rather bite than flick a cloud of hairs!
Cool little experiment there martin,might try that sometime if i can get her to flick hairs and not go bananas on me.

 

[atmosphere]

To flick them in the air. They rub there palps against there caraprice. Thats how they do it I believe . Is this correct Martin?

 

[pategirl]

I have noticed my juvie E. murinus flicking hairs at me before, from what I recall, it looked as though he was rubbing his pedipaps together and sorta kicking the hairs out.

 

[Steve]

Hi @ all,

i have some Ephebopus all size! And i never saw that they urticating! And how should they do this?

Species with urtican hairs on the abdomen rubbing their legs on the abdomen(i think with small "spikes"?). But i think Ephebopus spp. have no spikes for the pedipalps to use them like others!

Regards,
Steffen