Wildlife
Black lace-weaver spiders can be found under stones and logs in the woodlands and gardens of Europe and North America. Look out in cellars and outbuildings, or other dark areas of your home, as these spiders have been known to deliver a painful bite. The dutiful mother guards her eggs and once her spiderlings have hatched she makes the ultimate sacrifice... to become their first meal.
Scientific name: Amaurobius ferox
Rank: Species
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Yummy mummy
The ultimate sacrifice ensures survival for cannibal spiderlings.
The ultimate sacrifice ensures survival for cannibal spiderlings.
The Black lace-weaver can be found in a number of locations including: Asia, Europe, North America, Russia, United Kingdom. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Black lace-weaver distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Amaurobius ferox, sometimes known as the black lace-weaver is a spider belonging to the family Amaurobiidae. It is distributed in Europe and North America and has been introduced into New Zealand.
The female of this species is around 16 mm in length (excluding legs). It is very dark brown to black overall. The abdomen is rounded and bears indistinct yellowish markings. The male is similar but smaller (length about 11 mm) and more slender. The eggs are laid in a white sac in a sheltered place. The female usually guards the sac until the eggs have hatched. This species has been known to bite man.
Amaurobius ferox is a matriphagous spider, meaning that the young devour the mother after hatching. First she lays a second set of eggs on which the newly-hatched spiders feed. Then a few days later she actively encourages her offspring to devour her.
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Oak wood
Farmland
Brownfield land
Beech wood
Parkland
Broadleaf forest
Coniferous forest
Urban
Carnivorous
Maternal care
Moulting
Egg layer
Predator
Trapping predator