Okay, sit down spiderlings. Today we’ll be learning about these things:

This is the Diving Bell Spider, Argyroneta aquatica. This is the only spider in the world to spend almost all of its life underwater. WHAT? That’s crazy! How does it breathe? Well, you see that shiny bubble of air around its abdomen? Yeah. the hairs on its body are so dense that they trap air close to its body.

They go to the surface and collect air bubbles on their legs, then bring the air down to a larger bubble underwater that’s held in place with a net of silk. Once the bubble is full, it’s shaped like a silvery bell (hence “diving bell spider”). Argyroneta actually means “silvery net,” or something like that. It spends most of its time in the bubble, and so it must replenish the air every so often. They use the bell for resting while digesting prey, mating, molting, and caring for their babies.

When mating time comes, the male will build a bell close to the female’s, then weave a little tunnel between the two to connect them. Kinda weird, but okay. Then they do the thing inside the female’s bell. Oh yeah, this is cool: the male diving bell spider is actually larger than the female by about 30%, and that is the opposite of most spiders.

They live in ponds, shallow lakes, and other small, still bodies of water, ranging throughout Europe and northern Asia. They prey on backswimmers, water striders, and various larvae. However they sometimes prey on tadpoles and small fish! 

So yeah. Spiders. Underwater.

Image sources: [x] [x] [x] [x]

Happy hunting, spiderlings! Your noble spider knight,

-Sir P. Audax

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