Greetings from Sri Lanka.
Grass spiders
I blinked twice when I opened the kitchen door of my cottage on the west coast of Sri Lanka at dawn a few days ago and saw the lawn covered in patches of frost. With day time temperatures reaching 41 degree Celsius (105.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in March, frost is not on the list of expected early morning sights.
But it wasn’t frost. The lawn was dotted with sparkling circles of spun mist, with drops of dew glittering like diamonds as the sun rose. It was an invigorating start to the day – but what caused this beautiful sight?
Since each splash of gossamer resembled an intense, small, spider’s web, I guessed my lawn had been invaded by spiders. Naturally, I consulted the fountain of modern knowledge, the oracle google, who came up this information:
“Grass spiders and other funnel weavers construct funnel-shaped webs near to the ground in which to trap their prey.”
That seemed fine, but then another website (no pun intended) informed me that: “Spider webs on grass that is damp with morning dew may be a symptom of a bigger problem called dollar spot fungus. The branching mycelium of dollar spot fungus looks like spider webs or cobwebs on morning grass, but unlike spider webs, dollar spot mycelium disappears when the dew dries.”
Well, by late afternoon, the dew had dried and the webs were still there although the shine had gone. So, I assume my lawn was not infected with dollar (or even rupee) spot fungus. I now have grass spiders as the latest addition to my garden wildlife (iguanas, chipmunks, monkeys and cobras).
Thus spoke google: “The grass spider is a shy creature, so if you happen to spot one, don’t expect it to stay around for long. It’s an elusive arachnid.
“Female grass spiders range in length from 10-20 millimetres, and males are somewhat smaller at 9-18 millimetres.
“The grass spider life cycle is only about one year long, with mating rituals bringing about eventual demise for both parties.
“Grass spiders are one of the approximately 1,200 identified species within the Agelenidae family. Members of this family of spider are known for their funnel-weaving capabilities. Grass spiders and other funnel weavers construct funnel-shaped webs near to the ground in which to trap their prey.”
Well, they certainly trapped me into investigating them. Another surprising sight to watch for on your visit to Sri Lanka.
Happy holiday.
Royston Ellis
Editorial Consultant
Sri Lanka Holiday Guru.
