Net casting spider (Deinopis subrufa)

Net casting Spiders are found in eucalyptus forests throughout the east coast of Australia and are named so from their unique hunting method. At night they construct a robust and elastic silk net, a process which they must do before night when they hunt. Once the trap is built, they position themselves above or beside a surface where prey travel. The spider holds a net between its front legs, each leg holding a corner. The net at this stage is slack and not held taught. The spider then becomes motionless, awaiting prey. Net casting spiders sit motionless for hours or the entire night if prey doesn't appear. Deinopis species have eight eyes like most spiders but have two large forward-facing eyes. These eyes provide the spiders with fantastic vision and the ability to accurately see the distance to capture their prey with the net. The spider rapidly lunges forward when prey comes too close while stretching the net out. As the net contacts the prey, the spider allows it to contract, engulfing and tangling the victim. Net casting spiders use a unique type of silk that is quite puffy as each strand is much thicker than other types of silk. This silk is also immensely sticky and elastic; it glows under ultraviolet light. Once captured, the spider begins wrapping the prey with silk using its hind legs, the same way orb weavers wrap up prey. Once the prey is immobilised, the spider bites it allowing the venom to take effect and liquify the inside of the prey before feeding.

This species lays eggs within a spherical egg sac. They stay with their eggs until they hatch. The slings hatch after a month or two, and hundreds of spiderlings may emerge from a single egg sac. The spiderlings cluster around the mother for a week or two after they emerge and don't eat each other at this stage. Once they leave, if the slings find each other, this usually results in cannibalism.

Like all other invertebrates, net casting spiders moult their exoskeleton periodically to grow larger. To moult, the spider requires enough vertical space and a dark, quiet area without disturbances such as predators. The moulting process takes around 10 minutes; smaller spiders take less time to moult. It's easy to distinguish males from females once the net caster is mature as the males have large and swollen pedipalps and are generally less brightly coloured, and have a more petite body during the exact body length.