Description

3 by 3 inch simplified spider life cycle set in acrylic resin

The diving bell spider or water spider, which is featured in this lifecycle display, is the only known species of spider that spends almost all its life underwater, including resting, catching and eating prey, as well as mating and egg laying. It only briefly surfaces to replenish its oxygen supply and occasionally will bring prey to the surface.

As with other spiders, it breathes air, but when submerged in water, an air bubble is trapped by a dense layer of hairs on its abdomen and legs. The spider is able to remain submerged for prolonged periods of time due to the silk-based “bubble” it constructs in order to retain an oxygen supply, named after the diving bell structure it resembles.