Family Anyphaenidae

A Sac spider (ghost spider) of Sabah

Insect ID Source #1 : UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS http://entomology.uark.edu

Insect ID Source #2 : Ohio State University Extension http://ohioline.osu.edu

Sac spiders also known as two-clawed hunting spiders

Mohammad Ali - The greatest of all spiders

http://www.ali.com/

Sac spiders (also known as two-clawed hunting spiders ) are common spiders on foliage or on the ground, and can be commonly found indoors. They are small to medium-sized spiders (1/5 - 2/5 inch long) and are usually yellowish or light-colored. Although sac spiders do not construct webs, they do build retreats from silk. Outdoors, they usually roll up leaves into a tube, or may construct a retreat under stones. Inside buildings, sac spiders are found in retreats in a variety of places, including high up on walls near ceilings.

对于它们的身体来说，其下颚是如此的厚大（按比例来说，是动物王国里最大的），它们通常依赖机械伤害去对付它们的猎物。

流浪者蜘蛛穿着褐色的箭尾形外衣，身体大约半英寸长，腿间距超出一英寸。它们织一个像台球球袋形状的网，然后静静等候猎物。它们的蛛网并不粘，而是依靠它们具有欺骗性的表面来捕获猎物。那些看起来坚实光滑的着陆点实际上是一个细丝做成的层状网络。大多数昆虫缺乏识别这个陷阱的能力，当它们不小心落在蛛网上时，其脚爪构造阻碍和拖延了它们逃跑的时间。而蜘蛛自己则通过反向的脚爪扣紧网丝，在蛛网上自由行走。

I found this Sac Spider on 29th October 2006 evening. A small spider of about 1cm body length. I have seen different species of spider building web on grasses but this spider is unique to me in 2 ways :

1) Instead of a usual net of 'Web' this spider build a 'Silk Platform' on top of grasses.

2) Usually insects trapped and stuck on a spider web, but I saw several type of insects such as ants, walk on this Silk Platform.

Just beside a walking path, yet most people just passed by not noticing there is a home of a spider on the grass...and a Sabah Sac Spider is waiting right in the middle....	The same photo with a little color leveling using Photoshop. Now you can see something white on the grass. Click the image to enlarge...see the spider now?

This Sac Spider has a body about 10mm long and a leg span exceeding 30mm. It is hairy and gray. They build flat webs with a 'billiard pocket' at one corner, in which they lie awaiting prey to come. They are light yellow to pale yellowish green, The cephalothorax (fused head and thorax) is reddish and the abdomen is pale yellow. The first pair of legs is longest. These spiders have eight similarly-sized dark eyes arranged in two horizontal rows.

The round web hole on the left (red arrow 1) is the entrance to the his hide out at the soil underneath.

The two holes on the right side (red arrow 2) of the web are damages by big insects such as grasshoppers.

Click on the image to see enlarged photo.


	I moved my camera as close as I can. Ali sense danger is approaching. This shinning silver rectangle enemy (my camera) he never seen before and is 2 inches away. His shakes his left arm.
	"Catch me if you can !" Ali said. Compare carefully his jaw with above photo. You can see he is now warming up his jaw of 2 sharp. And his head movement and swing of left arm become blurred in the image. His right arm still rest on the platform without moving remain sharp and clear in the image.
	But this silver intruder (my camera) refuse to go. Ali is restless and this time he rubbed both hands with his jaw
	....sharpening the 2 sharp jaw and the 2 sharp needle on the arms like Muhammad Ali tighten up his Golden Gloves ready to fight
	...now preparing his left foot to fight. See, he is putting his left foot into his mouth to sharpen it.
	Waving his right arm in the air...

In Malaysia, very little knowledge about this native spider. In the US more study and researched were done in the US species. In US several species of sac spiders are suspected of being responsible for most indoor spider bites to humans. Sac spiders are among the few medically important spiders in the United States. Perhaps this Malaysian species, which look more fierce seem more poisonous, has new medical value to be discovered and researched.

Where can I see a Sac spider in Malaysia ? One with an observe eye can easily spot a Sac Spider easily both inside a building and the open ground. But if you want to see a beautiful web platform with a Sac Spider wait for his test of pray while different type if insects walking passing through, then Bukit Gemok of Tawau is where you can easily find one.

SPIDERS OF BORNEO