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Diguetia canities venom
Family Diguetidae
 
Diguetia are primitive
six-eyed web weavers, which are common throughout much of SW USA. They build an
unusual tent-like web that is somewhat similar to linyphiid domes, except with
much stronger silk and a conical or tubular retreat at the apex camouflaged with
leave litter, cactus needles and other debris and stacks of paper thin egg sacs
laid sequentially as the retreat expands downward. These webs are typically made
in cacti or between stiff branches of sturdy woody scrub and are so sturdy that
they can survive for more than year after the spider is gone.
Insects fall or are tripped by a superstructure of guy lines
on to the upper surface of the web and the spider rushes along the lower surface
of the tent to deliver a bite through the tough sheet. The venom appears to be
incredibly potent and can knock down the prey very rapidly, even with remote
tarsal bite on a grasshopper much larger than the spider.
Diguetia canities is the
larger of our two most common species. It is just attractive as
Diguetia albolineata, with distinctive brown and
brown markings over a white to gray background but is much larger, has slightly
different markings and lacks the pointed tubercle at the posterior end of the
abdomen.
Products
Diguetia canities (Diguetidae) venom
Diguetia canities venom glands
Selected References
- Bloomquist, J. R., L. P. Kinne, V. Deutsch and S. F.
Simpson (1996). "Mode of action of an insecticidal peptide toxin from the
venom of a weaving spider (Diguetia canities)." Toxicon 34(9): 1072-5.
PubMed
- Hughes, P. R., H. A. Wood, J. P. Breen, S. F. Simpson, A.
J. Duggan and J. A. Dybas (1997). "Enhanced Bioactivity of Recombinant
Baculoviruses Expressing Insect-Specific Spider Toxins in Lepidopteran Crop
Pests." J Invertebr Pathol 69(2): 112-8.
PubMed
- Gertsch, J. (1958) The spider family Diguetidae. Am Mus
Novitates 1904, pp 1-24
Free pdf
- Krapcho, K. J., R. M. Kral, Jr., B. C. Vanwagenen, K. G.
Eppler and T. K. Morgan (1995). "Characterization and cloning of insecticidal
peptides from the primitive weaving spider Diguetia canities." Insect Biochem
Mol Biol 25(9): 991-1000.
PubMed
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