Spiders have it easy when it comes to
catching food. Usually they just spin their webs and wait patiently for smaller
insects to get caught. However, some spiders have a very unique way of catching
their prey. In fact, it’s more on how they spin their webs which makes them
more unique.
Ogre-faced Spiders, also known as Net-castingSpiders, have very excellent eyesight. Unlike other spiders, they have a pair
of huge forward facing eyes which helps them see in the dark. Their bodies
resemble sticks that have spindly legs poking out of it. They vary in color
from pinking brown, dark or chocolate brown and fawn. There are two different kinds of genus, Deinopis and Avella. Those
that belong in the Deinopis genus have bigger eyes. Another detail that
separates them is their color. The Avella Ogre-faced Spiders have a more grey
to greenish brown patterning.
These spiders grow to about 1.5 to 2.5 cm
and are commonly found in the forest of south-eastern Australia. Being
nocturnal, they hunt at night and feed on smaller spiders, crickets, beetles
and ants. When it comes to spinning its web, Ogre-faced Spiders don’t create
the usual web. Instead, they use their back legs to spin and create a net-like
web.
Once they make this, they wait for a target to come and quickly jump on
them, throwing their net over the prey. This move is very much like how the
gladiators of ancient Rome fought their battles. In fact these spiders are
often compared to them because of this strategy.
