Summary
Cryptachaea veruculata is a spider native to Australia and New Zealand. It has been introduced into England and Belgium. The species has potential to control spider mites and leafroller caterpillars in New Zealand.
Tags
harmful
bite
tree pest
garden pest
crop pest
pest
Description
Females reach a body size of about 4 mm, males only about 1.5 mm. They sometimes build small webs in flowers and green vegetation, but will also build webs in corners of the outer walls of buildings.
Taxonomy
This species was moved from genus Achaearanea in 2008.
Name
Common names include Diamond Comb-footed Spider. In New Zealand, it is also known as just "cobweb spider".
Further reading
- Yoshida, Hajime (2008): A revision of the genus Achaearanea (Araneae: Theridiidae). Acta Arachnologica 57(1): 37-40. PDF