Life Trockenrasen: Zebra Spider

The zebra spider is a fascinating species known for its striking coloration and agile jumping. It is widespread across much of Europe and can be found throughout Germany. This species prefers sunny, warm locations and is therefore commonly found in dry grassland habitats. However, houses and gardens also provide suitable living conditions for the spider.

Characteristics

As the name suggests, the zebra spider is black-and-white striped. Despite its rather stocky body and eight short legs, it is a master jumper. Like all jumping spiders, the zebra spider does not build webs to capture prey, but actively hunts during the day. Thanks to its extraordinary vision, it can quickly spot insects like flies, beetles, and other small prey. The spider has eight eyes, with the two large front eyes allowing it to see in colour and in three dimensions. The other six eyes help to monitor activity behind it. Once a potential prey is spotted, the spider carefully approaches and then leaps with a fast, precise jump. It can leap an impressive ten centimetres. Thanks to exceptional leg hydraulics, the zebra spider’s legs can stretch and bend precisely, which means that a target is rarely missed. To secure itself during jumps, the spider spins a safety thread, which it can use to pull itself back up if needed. If the hunt is successful, it injects a potent neurotoxin into the prey with a bite, paralyzing it.

Mating

The mating of the zebra spider occurs in the spring/summer. The male performs an impressive courtship display, executing rhythmic movements and vibrations to attract the female. After mating, the female creates a cocoon in which she lays her eggs and vigilantly guards it. After some time, the young spiders hatch from the eggs and begin their independent hunting.

Endangerment

The zebra spider is not considered to be endangered. However, the intensification of agriculture and the loss of habitats are having an increasingly negative impact on the species. For this reason, it is essential to preserve its natural habitats and ensure that it can continue to inhabit our dry grasslands in the future.