Matriphagy
Guides
Amaurobius
Lace web spiders, Tangled nest spiders
Amaurobius is a genus of araneomorph spiders in the family Amaurobiidae, first described by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1837. The genus contains approximately 68 species with primarily Holarctic distribution. Members are commonly known as lace web spiders or tangled nest spiders due to their characteristic web architecture. The genus includes notable species such as Amaurobius ferox, which exhibits the rare behavioral phenomenon of matriphagy, where offspring consume the mother after hatching.
Amaurobius ferox
black lace-weaver, black lace weaver
Amaurobius ferox is a nocturnal spider known for its distinctive cribellate web with woolly, lace-like silk. The species exhibits a unique subsocial organization among spiderlings, including synchronized molting, cooperative prey capture, and matriphagy—where offspring consume their mother after hatching. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to North America and is commonly found near human structures in dark, moist environments.
Micromalthus debilis
Telephone-pole Beetle
Micromalthus debilis is a small beetle native to eastern North America and the sole living representative of the family Micromalthidae, often considered a 'living fossil'. The species exhibits one of the most unusual reproductive strategies in Coleoptera: obligate paedogenesis, where reproduction occurs exclusively through parthenogenetic female larvae without production of fertile adults. Adults are vestigial, sterile, and rarely encountered in nature; they can be artificially induced through heat treatment but cannot reproduce. The species is associated with decaying wood and fungal near-red-rot habitats.