Dictynidae "Dictyna"
I found this spider at Tonaquint Nature Park in St. George, Utah. Bugguide.net told me it was a Dictyna
spider and the way it was holding its legs shows how a "cribellate spider uses its calamistrum to card
cribellate silk from the cribellum. The calamistrum are on metatarsi IV, and here it is using the left
one. Left leg IV is anchored to right leg IV and the silk is pulled from the cribellum in a rapid back
and forth motion". This great article from the Australian Museum explains how it all works.
Bugguide also said my spider is setting snare lines at the edge of its web. I wasn't sure at the time
I took this shot that this was the spider's web because it reminded me of a Black Widow web
(they also use crevices like this) . I found out the Black Widow is also a cribellate spider
so that explains the similarity of the webs. © Carol Davis, 10-18-2008
I believe this is a female Dictyna that I found at Bear River MBR. I discover these messy webs entangling
flowers and stems (on my jaunts through the wilderness photographing insects and birds) and I have never been
able to figure out who makes these. Now I know and am going to take a closer look at them. Rather than having
a sticky web, these spiders have more thin, wool-like fibers that entangle their prey. This web has
obviously been there a while and needs a little rebuilding. © Carol Davis, 5-15-2008
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