FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
The hacklemesh weaver (Callobius bennetti) is a spider that is typically found in northern Europe, and in recent years, in regions of eastern United States. This species of spiders is characterized by the lighter colored unique pattern that can be spotted on top of their oval-shaped bodies. Like most spiders, they have eight legs and eight eyes. Another way of identifying this species of spiders is through the untidy web that they weave. The web is typically messy-looking and has a tunnel-like feature which is designed to capture and eat prey at high speed.
Their legs reach a length of about 12 in (30.4 cm) and males of this species also have a pair of rather intimidating fangs. A female hacklemesh weaver grows to have a larger body than its male counterpart and also is more aggressive than the latter. These spiders are typically found in damp areas such as basements of houses, crevices in rocks, and between the barks of trees during summer or spring seasons.
If you are not an arachnophobe and would love to read about some more fascinating spiders, make sure to check out the false widow spider and green lynx spider here at Kidadl!
The hacklemesh weaver spider of the family Amaurobiidae is a spider that is usually spotted in the dark, damp corners of houses with their mesh-like webs.
This rather scary creature belongs to the class of arachnids, much like a spotted orb-weaver spider or a brown recluse spider.
There is no conclusive evidence as to how many of these spiders there are in the world. However, it is safe to say that their numbers are not declining and should make you consider pest control.
You may come across this spider if you happen to be taking a walk around a damp park with a lot of rocks. Hacklemesh weaver spiders set their webs between rocks, under the bark of a tree, or in the damp basement of a house during the winter or spring months.
While this species was originally native to only the northern parts of Europe, they were later brought to and can now be found in the eastern parts of the United States.
This spider species is not known to be particularly sociable. The male spider can easily be spotted during the breeding months when it roams around in search of a female. Apart from this, these spiders can hardly be found in large packs of their own kind or with other species of arachnids. Their aggressive nature also ensures that no creature is in the same society like theirs.
A female Callobius bennetti spider can live up to two years. However, the male of this species has a much shorter lifespan. The male hacklemesh weaver spider dies after mating which means that they hardly ever reach the age of a year.
This species of spiders are egg-layers. The female spider lays its eggs near its web and covers the eggs with any debris that are available nearby. The mother spider is also very protective and is usually at its most aggressive when the eggs are in question. They are prone to bite anyone that approaches the web.
The male, on the other hand, dies right after mating which is a common phenomenon in arachnids.
According to the IUCN, the conservation status of the hacklemesh weaver spider stands at Not Evaluated. This means that their habitat or life expectancy of this non-venomous species is facing no immediate threat.
Hacklemesh weaver spiders can easily be identified through their blackish-brown, oval-shaped bodies, and huge fangs. Apart from this, these pests also have an unmistakable chevron pattern on the top of their bodies in a lighter shade of brown or gray. They have eight legs and eight eyes which paints a rather scary picture. Their abdomen also has lighter color. The pattern of their webs can also serve as an easy identifier, since they are so messy and seemingly unkempt.
The female Callobius bennetti is much larger and much more aggressive than the male. When attacked or approached, it does not hide. Instead, it lurches from its dark corner in rather dangerous aggression.
With its eight eyes, hairy body, and gigantic fangs, it is rather tough to think of a hacklemesh weaver as a cute animal. If you ask if it is scary, yes.
The mode of communication that hacklemesh weaver spiders use is rather interesting. These scary pests communicate through pheromones which is a chemical that they can secrete and understand. This method is mostly used by males to find females for mating. They can also communicate through touch and from deciphering the pheromone signals that a spider might leave in its silken thread.
The hacklemesh weaver spider is neither too large nor too small. In the case of females, they have a leg span of 0.5 in (1.27 cm) which is at least 10 times smaller than a tarantula.
While there are no conclusive studies regarding the exact speed at which these small but scary creatures can move on their eight legs, hacklemesh weavers are known to be extremely quick to eat an insect once it is tangled in its web which suggests that they are fairly fast.
The exact weight of this species is not known. However, with the tiny size that they stand at, how heavy could they be, right?
There are a few features that help us in distinguishing between male and female hacklemesh weavers. A female grows to be longer, wider, and much more aggressive than its male counterpart. However, the two sexes are not assigned different names. We refer to them as female hacklemesh weavers and male hacklemesh weavers.
Like all spiders, the baby hacklemesh weaver is called a spiderling.
Hacklemesh weavers, like other spiders, depend mainly on insects for their food. Any insect that gets tangled in their lace-like web is quickly pounced upon and eaten. Some of these insects can be moths, grasshoppers and, butterflies.
The Callobius bennetti is not venomous enough to prove fatal to humans. However, a bite may cause you extreme pain, chills and, nausea. It is best to maintain a safe distance from these spiders in order to avoid any such mishap.
Given their aggressive nature and mildly harmful venom, they cannot be considered a good option in case you are looking to have a spider as a pet. However, you can definitely have a tarantula such as the Mexican red-knee tarantula as a pet since they have a much more docile nature.
Hacklemesh weavers are quite easily confused with brown recluses. However, while all North American spiders, including brown recluses, are poisonous, a hacklemesh weaver's venom is not.
Another interesting fact to note is that male hacklemesh weavers die right after they mate.
Callobius bennetti, especially the female of this species, is known to be quite aggressive. When they sense any attack or threat to their family, instead of retreating, females approach the attacker and pounce on them with the intention to give a dangerous bite. While the hacklemesh weaver bite venom is not fatal to humans, a few cases have been recorded where the victims underwent severe pain and pain.
The hacklemesh weaver spider gets their name from the mesh-like fashion in which they weave their webs. The web of this brown-colored pest is usually very messy and has a lace-like appearance.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods from our whip spider facts and the southern house spider facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Hacklemesh weaver coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.