Common Spider Families of Mumbai by Aniruddha Dhamorikar

Common Spider Families of Mumbai Aniruddha Dhamorikar
Spiderfamilies
of
Mumbai
common
by
Aniruddha
Dhamorikar
Updated on 20th April 2011
The original article was published on
December 18, 2009, and can be
retrieved here.

“Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Spider to the Fly,
'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I've a many curious things to shew when you are
there."
– Mary Howitt 1821

Introduction
What is a spider, and how does it look? It is the most dangerous eight legged creature
that walks the face of the planet. Who does not know what a spider is capable of?
Naught one, but the most ignorant. It can hang from the ceiling, fall in your soup, and
creep on your bed or under the blanket. It can crawl on your skin and tickle you all
the way, or sleep in your closet, well hidden during the day. Spider has long fangs and
is a venomous bugger; it is aggressive and will readily attack you, if it you bother. It is
everywhere and nowhere, for often you cannot see it, yet it watches you, for it has six
eyes – every eye staring right at you.
What made a spider so special, so dangerously beautiful? Its six eyes, two fangs, long
spinnerets and many hands. It has a mind of a hunter – a stalker and an ambusher –
a predator that is as bright as a tiger. It is fast and quick, superb jumper. It is cryptic
and colorful, buoyant and patient. It is but the successful result of a million year long
experiment.

An Account
As they say, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. In case of spiders, it‟s the
creepiness that surpasses its beauty for many who fail to understand them well.
Spiders are one of the thoroughly studied animals in the scientific world. There are
about 40,000 described species spread into 109 families. About 59 described Families
exist in India.
In here, only 19 commonest families seen in and around Mumbai have been listed
along with a few uncommon ones. I am not relying on binomial names for some
spiders merely identified through photographs, but if you know a certain family of the
spider by just looking at it, you can gain a whole insight into its short but far more
adventurous life compared to ours.
Over many years, spiders have fascinated me just the way butterflies did. This animal
with six or eight eyes placed like a crown of black beads on its head is a hunter – a
killer. Yet they show subtle behaviors, there is romance, there is dancing and a very
patient soul. If you look into the eyes of a spider, you don‟t see a genetically automated
animal – you see an individual, a personality that has evolved over 200 million years.
Let‟s count it in digits, 200,000,000 years. We, as a „modern‟ man, are much, much
younger compared to this ancient group of Arachnids, yet we seem to overlook them as
a mere species in this vast biodiversity of our planet.
The Spiders prefer various habitats, and knowing the habitat that a certain spider
prefers, it becomes one step easier to find one. In Mumbai though, the habitat does
not change as much, and hence spiders can be seen over various locations, in your
balconies, backyards and the forestlands. The 18 families listed here are easy to
locate, easy to identify and easy to photograph. Most are seen only over a certain
season, while some occur throughout the year. Some are rather difficult to find, and
there are others that live in our houses, yet we do not notice them. I openly admit, I
may have missed several family of spiders that are much common than the ones
mentioned here, as I must have merely overlooked them. Besides the common spiders
we‟re about to see, there are some, rather uncommon ones seen around, for instance
the Family Theridiidae is a rather common family, but hardly ever noticed. Then there
is Theraphosidae family, famed for Tarantulas, common, yet not-so-commonly sighted
across Mumbai. There is Corinnidae, often small, and confused with Clubionidae.
Ctenidae, Deinopidae, Dictynidae, Linyphiidae and Zodariidae, are amongst others.
And there must be some I have never noticed at all.

Spider Families of Mumbai
On a broad introduction to Spiders, I suggest you visit The Ultimate Spinner – Spiders.
Whether you are in your backyard, at SGNP, Yeoor Hills, Nagla Block and other parts
of SGNP, or on the outskirts of Mumbai, spiders are a common sighting. And whether
you like them or not, they are ever ready to welcome you with a wide spread orb-web
on the forest paths, or by crawling on your shoes from the leaf litter, or if you sit on a
rock, they‟re sitting right beneath that rock, or if you brush through a plant, they‟re
there, already jumping off the leaves for their lives. There are some you may find flying
in the air, and some sitting pretty on a flower, or some resting comfortably on the
surface of the water. If you have an eye for nature, keep it open for spiders. Spiders
are a great subject for photographers. If you happen to like nature photography, it is
impossible not to shoot these beautiful critters.
Salticidae
A very common spider family, they are omnipresent in homes as well as dense forests,
are easily identified by their stout body and two out of six big round eyes. These are
commonly referred to as Jumping Spiders, due to the fact that they can jump over a
considerable distance while hunting for prey, exploring a place, or, if scared.
These spiders come in myriad of colors from excellently camouflaging to stunningly
beautiful coloration. There are plenty of species seen in Mumbai, and one of the most
interesting genuses is Myrmarachne, these Jumping Spiders disguise themselves as
ants – literally, a spider that looks like an ant, and hence superb ant hunters (the last
three pictures). Several species of Myrmarachne are seen in Mumbai.
Lycosidae
A spider that is commonly seen on the forest floor, in the leaf litter or on boulders near
ponds and streams – carefully stalking its prey, called the Wolf Spider. It is yet
another easily identifiable spider, due to its two prominent round eyes, with four small
eyes just below these. They are rather dull in color and rely on camouflage for ambush
Different species of Jumping Spiders seen in and around Mumbai

hunting. It also supposedly stalks its prey, and is usually seen scanning the forest
floor.
These spiders are called Wolf Spider because they were thought to stalk their prey just
as the wolves did, but in reality, these spiders rely on ambush, and hunt by surprising
the prey. They, just like the Jumping Spiders, do not build web and wait for prey. The
web is only used as a „safety-line‟ while travelling from one place to another, or for
building a nursery for laying eggs.
Wolf Spiders are easily confused with Wandering Spiders (Family Ctenidae), which are
common, but not as abundant as Wolf Spiders. They are nocturnal, and considered
aggressive. Their bite is said to cause allergic reaction, although it is not considered
severe. I have never come across a Wandering Spider in Mumbai, but their
distribution is common in the Western Ghats. Interestingly, Wandering Spiders
supposedly hunt Wolf Spiders!
Ctenus sp. Wandering Spider in the family Ctenidae is often mistaken for a Wolf Spider
Two different species of Wolf Spiders photographed at Yeoor Hills

Tunnel-sheet Spiders also belong to Lycosidae, which spreads a sheet of web, and lives
in a tunnel made by the web. It is often called as Funnel web Spider, which is the
actual common name for the spiders belonging to Hexathelidae, which occurs in India,
but is a relative of the tarantulas.
Oxyopidae
Commonly called Lynx spiders, these rely on their camouflage and patience to catch a
passer-by insect. They are mostly found sitting on flowers and leaf surfaces, waiting
for prey to stop by. These have rather small eyes and hence not easily observable to
the naked eye. The legs, however, are the key to identify these, since they are slender
and spiny, to the likes of thorns of a cactus. Also, two thin dorsal lines run down the
abdomen, and the cephalothorax is roughly rectangular in shape. These spiders come
in various colors, from deep pink, to green and brown.
They are very common during Monsoon months and fairly common during the dry
season. The genus Oxyopes (about 6 or more species) and Peucetia are generally
occurring in Mumbai. Tapponia genus is also seen during post-monsoon period. Lynx
spiders also do not rely on web, and rather sit and wait for prey to come to them.
However, the females use the web to build a nursery for eggs.
Hippasa sp. Tunnel-sheet Spiders sit awaiting prey at the opening of their tunnel
Oxyopes shweta Peutecia viridans Tapponia sp.

Araneidae
One of the easily recognized families of spiders, thanks to their Orb-webs, these
spiders are one of the marvelous web builders. But don‟t go by those easily
recognizable orb-webs, for it is also built by other family of spiders, which we will
discuss shortly.
There are many species in this Family; commonest and easily recognized are the
Garden Orb-weavers i.e., Neoscona sp., with a typical “cross” mark on the oval, egg-
shaped abdomen. However, these spiders are also difficult to identify up till species
level due to a vast array of color morphs in a single species.
Another commonly seen Orb-weaver is a Signature spider – Argiope sp., common
throughout the seasons in forests. These spiders are rarely seen in cities, rather
common in suburban areas, and abundant in forests. Easily identifiable due to their
zigzag satbilimenta, the fuzzy zigzag web seen near the center of the orb-web, and
their typical “X” shaped sitting posture.
Other, beautiful and not-so-common, are the Spiny Orb-weavers, Gastracantha sp.,
which happen to be most colorful and vividly shaped, often with spines over the
abdomen, and a variety of different shapes.
Another common genus occurring here is Cyclosa sp., or sometimes called “Debris-
collecting spiders”, these spiders collect debris, such as dried plant materials, seeds,
Neoscona sp. Argiope sp. Gastracantha sp. Cyclosa sp.
A Cyclosa sp. sitting in between the collected debris

and even insect parts. It then binds all of these in a line at the center of its orb-web,
with the help of stabilimenta, and rest in between this collection, well camouflaged
and nearly impossible to sight. These spiders are generally small, less than a
centimeter long. Their orb-webs are also much smaller, and hence not easily seen.
They prefer building webs in thickets, bushes and seldom in openings, but never
above waist level. It sometimes becomes difficult to see the spider in its collection of
debris!
Another, commonest species seen – in your balconies or the densest forests – is the
Cyrtophora sp., commonly called Tent Spider or Dome Spider. These spiders do not
build an orb-web; in fact it does not resemble an orb-web at all. These webs, however,
are much complex than an Orb-web, and resemble a tent or a dome, hence the
common name. These spiders are through to be the „precursors‟ to the now orb-webs.
The spider, after building a web, rests right inside (in the center) the dome, and is a
patient hunter. As the web gets older, the spider cuts and sheds it, and builds a new
one. It is easy to identify this spider in its tent shaped web, since the web itself is its
identity! It is, however, not so easy to distinguish it from other orb-weavers, since it
has similar morphological characteristic. It can also be confused to Tetragnathidae
spiders, if the spider is seen without its web. Some uncommon ones that are seen in
the region are Arachnura sp., Ordgarius sp., and Poltys sp.
Tetragnathidae
Commonly called “Long-jawed Orb-weavers” these, as the name partly suggests, build
an orb-shaped web, yet, these are not the original Orb-weavers. They go by their
name, though, since they have longer pedipalps and chelicerae hence they are long-
jaws that build orb-webs. However, the orb webs built by these are usually at an
angle, or horizontal.
There are several species seen in Mumbai, of which Leucauge sp. is most common.
These spiders start to appear as monsoon wanes, and are most abundant during
A Cyrtophora sp. sitting in its dome-shaped web

October through winter and disappear by summer. They build a horizontal orb-web,
and are beautifully colored, from green to brilliant orange. These spiders are
commonly called “Orchard Spiders”, and, without their web – can be easily confused
with Tent Spiders (Crytophora sp.).
Another commonly occurring genus is Tetragnatha, these are usually small, very
slender, with an elongated abdomen, and these also build orb-webs, but are usually at
an angle. These show the typical “long-jaws” and are common through the wet and dry
seasons.
These spiders are mostly small, hence the eyes are not visible to the naked eye, and
therefore cause much confusion with the Araneidae family of spiders. However, as
discussed above, it generally relies of the position of the webs, absence of stabilimenta,
and long chelicerae.
One common and an unusual spider, often confused with the Araneidae family of
spiders is Herennia ornatissima, the Ornate Orb-weaver. It is another unusual orb-
weaver that builds an orb-web on the surface of the tree trunk. I have only seen one
individual at Yeoor Hills, but have no photographic records of it.
Pholcidae
Who does not recognize these spiders? Unsurprisingly, many don‟t recognize its
family. These are the famous “Daddy-long Legs” of the Spider World! They are the ones
you will most commonly observe in your house, rather than anywhere in the
woodlands.
Leucauge sp. Unidentified species Tetragnatha sp.
Crossopriza sp.

Go to the corner of that room, see that messy thin web? On it rests a creepy, long
legged spider with a tiny abdomen, and an invisible head. Yes, this is the family of
Pholcidae – the spiders we strive hard to remove from our homes, and yet they end up
coming back.
These, easily identifiable spiders are a doom to an aesthetically beautiful architecture,
but the webs that these spiders build, although random and haphazardly built, are
good natural air filters. What‟s more, these spiders never get caught in their own webs!
These spiders capture mosquitoes, flies and ants that bite, hence act as good
neighbours! Unfortunately, the aesthetics come first; hence these spiders are
considered pests at homes.
I have observed these spiders to be rather weak and thin inside homes, and their
brothers and sisters can grow to an impressive size outside, where the prey is more
abundant.
Oecobiidae
We all know these spiders, and despise them as much as we hate the Pholcidae
spiders. These are small spiders, barely measuring a centimeter, that love to live in
corners of our homes. They build a small, oval thin sheet of webs and rest inside it, in
wait of prey. They settle where the corners are not routinely cleaned, and run pretty
fast if disturbed. These little spiders capture prey, spin web around in circles, and
retreat into the tiny web house.
Looking up at these is not an easy task, because often they go unnoticed, but the
shape of the web, and the picture provided above can be of some help.
An unidentified Daddy long legs spider
A common Oecobiidae spider

Thomisidae
The infamous Crab Spiders, the masters of camouflage and beautiful colors, are
spiders with two pairs of appendages held in front like a crab‟s chelicerae, hence the
common name. This is actually a pose to strike the prey, or to defend.
These are rather common on flowers, leaves and seldom occur on non-natural
structures. It is generally the females that we see commonly, and the males are very
tiny, a dimorphism very common in spiders. They do not rely on webs, but use it as
“safety lines” and to build a nursery to lay eggs.
The most commonly occurring genus is Thomisus sp., which are large and commonly
seen in urban gardens. Other probable genus occurring in Mumbaia are Ozyptila and
Diaea but are not commonly sighted – probably because of their inconspicuous
appearance.
Two of the rather interesting ones – that are not the typical crab-spider looking crab
spiders are Runcinia sp., which has a rather elongated abdomen, and Amyciaea sp.,
the one that mimic ants – usually Oecophylla smargdina (Weaver Ant), both of these
have been observed at Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
Hersilidae
The “Two-tailed Spider” is a common spider, found on tree trunks and sometimes on
wet walls. It is called so because of its two extra-long spinnerets that appear like tails.
This spider is not large, but has considerably long feet, and stays motionless on the
tree trunk, awaiting the approaching prey.
Thomisus sp. ♀ carrying ♂ Thomisus sp. Runcinia sp.

Once the prey is close enough, the spider strikes with a blinding speed, and spins web
all around the prey in a circle. This spider also does not build a web, but uses it to
wrap prey and to build a nursery for eggs.
Scytodidae
A common, yet uncommon spider of Mumbai forests.
Seen exclusively during monsoon seasons, it is a mystery
where they vanish as soon as monsoon ends. These
spiders are very unique, and their mysterious
disappearance only adds to this uniqueness.
These spiders are called Spitting spiders, and “spit” out
web from two glands just beside their mouth, and, this
silk is coated in venom. The spider does not bite and then
inject the venom, but shoots it at a short distance, and
pounces on the unlucky prey. It has long legs, much like
the Pholcidae spiders, and uses its extra long first pair of
appendages to judge the distance between itself and the
prey.
Hersilia sp. with two long spinnerets call tree trunks and walls their home
Scytodes sp. resting under leaf
Scytodes sp. feeding on an Orb-weaving Spider

Only one genus Scytodes is found here, which are somewhat orange, with a light
orange, striped small abdomen and a rather flat but dome shaped cephalothorax.
These spiders rest in folded leaves.
They appear with the onset of monsoon – as soon as new leaves blossom. As the
monsoon proceeds, their size increases, and become more and more common
throughout the forest trails. Yet, as soon as the leaves dry, they vanish. During their
primetime, it is not uncommon to find two spiders in one folded leaf – perhaps a pair?
Gnaphosidae
Ground Spiders belong to this family, and are common throughout Mumbai, be it in
your backyard or the forests or a rocky terrain. They are small, dark brown in color
and quick runners. They appear more or less similar to jumping spiders (Salticidae),
but are less hairy, with longer, fat legs and the two spinnerets are visible at the end of
the abdomen.
Sparrasidae
The Huntsman spiders, belonging to the family Sparrasidae, are
large spiders, and are rather commonly seen in homes and
suburbs, than in forests. This could be because of their cryptic
coloration, and nocturnal behavior.
They may appear like Wolf (Lycosidae) or Nursery Web (Pisauridae) spider, but are
considerably different if looked closely. These have a different eye-pattern, body
pattern, and as well as prefer different habitat. These are commonly seen on walls and
tree trunks or on/ under rocks. They are also called Giant Crab Spiders, but are in no
way related to the Crab Spiders (Thomisidae).
Pisauridae
The Nursery Web Spiders or simply Water Spiders belong to this family. These are
unique spiders, as all spiders are! They go by latter name of Water Spiders since these
are mostly seen around waters, and sometimes onto waters, but it is not uncommon
A Huntsman Spider
carrying egg-sac
Heteropoda sp. prefer hiding under rocks

to see them on forest paths. The previous name of Nursery Web Spider is a misnomer
in India since only a European species, Pisaura mirabilis builds a nursery for the
spiderlings.
They are often confused with Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae) but the easiest way to
distinguish is the eye-pattern. These spiders are called Water Spiders because they
hunt under water! They can maneuver themselves onto the water surface, and a fish
or an invertebrate swimming by is attacked. Thalassius is the most common genus
that occurs around Mumbai.
Clubionidae
This is a confusing family of Spiders; hence I shouldn‟t really be talking about them
here. These spiders are off white in color, and rather faintly red.
They tend to roll the leaf/leaves and spin a web on the inside to rest. They have big
fangs compared to their body size, and are seldom seen out of their retreats.
A Water Spider waits for a passing fish or aquatic insect
A Clubionidae spider in its retreat
Thalassius albocinctus

Uloboridae
This is a unique family of spiders, commonly called Hackled Orb-weavers. Now these
are also confused with the Orb-weavers of the family Araneidae, however, these
spiders have a distinct, random hackled web around the center of the web. This
hackled structure is different compared to the Signature Spiders as well as the
Cyclosa sp. discussed in the Araneidae family.
These spiders are not special because they build a hackled orb web. It is because of
something rather surprising – they are the only spiders that are non-venomous!
However, they possess a special web-spinning apparatus which produces this hackled
web, which aides them to capture the prey more efficiently, without the use of venom.
These spider are very small, and may appear to be an Araneidae belonging orb-weaver,
however, it has a rather distinct, long and large first pair of appendages which is the
key for its identification.
Seeing them is tough, thanks to their small webs, and even smaller sizes, but once
you see and recognize them, you won‟t forget them ever. These spiders remain well
camouflaged and tend to prefer shaded places.
Nephilidae
The Golden Orb Weavers or Giant Wood Spiders that rein the forests around Mumbai
come from this small spider family, Nephilidae. These spiders are orb-weavers and
were formerly placed in Tetragnathidae and Araneidae.
Hackled Orb-weavers showing large front appendages and hackled web
Nephila sp.
Zeiss sp.Unidentified species

The spiders of this family spin largest orb-webs in the world, and have the strongest
webs than any other spider species. They are abundant during post-monsoon months,
and throughout the dry season. They tend to disappear during monsoon and many
young spiderlings are seen as monsoon starts waning.
Theridiidae
This is another common family seen around Mumbai, and are sometimes referred to
as Tangled-web or Cob-web spiders. Their webs are dense, appear messy and are often
regarded dirty. But these webs are more like a maze, and only the owners of this maze
never get tangled in it. The web is built in three dimensions, and often contains
several layers of thin sheets of webs.
These spiders are commonly seen in and around suburbs, and more so in abandoned
houses. The spiders are not big, and prefer dark corners. The deadly Black Widow
spider (Latrodectus sp.) belongs to this family. The first venomous Brown Widow
Spider (Latrodectus geometricus) was reported in India in Pune, you can access the
article here.
There is no easy way to distinguish them from others unless you are able to observed
brush-like hairy structures on the last appendages, but this might be of some use if
you were locked in a room full of Theridiidae spiders.
Eresidae
This is a rather special family of spiders that are social in nature, in the sense; these
spiders build a large web on trees by webbing leaves together. This spider colony is
commonly seen during monsoon and post-monsoon months. I do not have a picture of
these spiders, but it is easy to identify them by the appearance of the tangled web of
silk and leaves – much distinct from that of Weaver Ant nests. These social spiders
work as one. If a prey is stuck in the web, several individual spiders take it down, by
stinging and wrapping it. There are six different types of spider sociality.
Two types of Tangled-web spiders seen at SGNP

Philodromidae
Commonly called Running Crab Spiders, they are thought to closely resemble
Thomisidae, but look more like Pisauridae spiders. Easiest way to distinguish these
spiders from the above mentioned families is their rather flat shape, the eye pattern
which is similar to Thomisidae, and the second pair of legs is are longer than the rest.
They are usually seen in grasses and on leaf surfaces closer to the ground. I had
overlooked this one as a Pisaurid spider, but only after some close inspection can we
see the difference.
Tibellus sp (elongatus?) at SGNP

Conclusion
These are the families I have been coming across on most nature trails. I am sure
there are other families, perhaps more common than the ones mentioned here. There
are some spider families that are very confusing, even to the scientists, that it becomes
hard to identify a spider, and impossible to do the same through a photograph.
The spider families of Mumbai are diverse, in their habitats and their behaviour.
Understanding them will not only help us know our neighbors that dwell in the
corners well, but also broaden our sense of sharing a tiny space with such ecologically
important creatures. We must not forget that they lived here long before we did, and it
is their right to live wherever they wish. Spiders feed on pests that damage crops, or
spread diseases. Keeping houses clean is not bad, but killing the ones that live in the
natural habitat – in your backyard, for instance, must be discouraged.
Other Families of Spiders
I did not include Theraphosidae in this „commonly‟ occurring families of spiders since,
although common where they are seen (SGNP, Matheran), they are not as abundant
and are not seen regularly on nature trails.
Another rare or uncommon family is Deinopidae, a unique family where the spiders
have mastered the art of “web-casting” the prey. I have seen
only one in SGNP, Deinopis sp., it is a very well camouflaged,
small spider, hence perhaps not seen so commonly, and can be
confused for Tetragnathidae (if seen without its web).
Other families that might be common, but confusing to identify
are Dictynidae – which can be confused with Gnaphosidae and
Theridiidae; Hahniidae – confused with Gnaphosidae;
Linyphiidae can be confused with Theridiidae; Ctenidae can be
A Theraphosid spider seen at Matheran
Deinopis sp. at SGNP

confused with Lycosidae and Pisauridae or Theraphosidae; Coriniidae – confused with
Gnaphosidae or Clubionidae; even the common families can be difficult to distinguish
merely on their morphology, such as Araneidae from Tetragnathidae; Theridiidae from
Linyphiidae; Zodariidae with Gnaphosidae and Clubionidae, and so on.
Identifying spiders is not an easy task. It is a task that requires patience and the skills
of dissection. Only by observing a spider under a microscope can one be certain of its
specific name, or sometimes just the family. Arachnologists are still baffled by the
sheer number of spiders all across the world, and are still struggling to classify them,
often coming out with rather surprising results, and occasionally new families. I
welcome suggestions and critiques in this little effort of calling these spiders „common‟,
and appreciate any recommendations and corrections to further better my
understanding.
As a nature enthusiast, this is just a summary of the vast spider diversity of Mumbai I
documented over two years. Imagine how diverse our surrounding is, yet many of us
merely overlook or are too busy to appreciate the biologically diverse metropolitan we
live in. The spiders are so significant to the ecosystems and its survival that every
spider killed is, (quite literally) a mosquito rescued to bite freely!
Online Resources:
Spider India Yahoo Group
Spiders of Central India
South Indian Spiders
A Corinnidae spider, Castianeria zetes seemingly
mimicking Camponotus sp. of ants

All contents Copyright © 2010 Aniruddha Dhamorikar unless
otherwise mentioned. All rights reserved. No parts of this
document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any
means without prior written permission of the publisher.

Common Spider Families of Mumbai by Aniruddha Dhamorikar

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Common Spider Families of Mumbai by Aniruddha Dhamorikar