About Argyrodes elevatus Taczanowski, 1873
Argyrodes elevatus is a small spider species. Its body is divided into two main regions: the cephalothorax, which contains the head and connects to the legs, and the abdomen. The head is typically dark, ranging from brown to black. The legs extending from the cephalothorax are a lighter brown, with leg tips returning to the darker color matching the head. The abdomen, the second body region, has a silver, bulbous conical shape, with a dark line running down its full length. When fully grown, combined body length of this spider ranges from 4 to 7 mm. Males are smaller than females, and have a lower abdomen that points upwards. Argyrodes elevatus is primarily distributed across Central America, South America, and the southernmost regions of the United States. Within the United States, it occurs across California, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. This species prefers tropical and subtropical climates, so large populations are found in Trinidad. Around 24 hours after courtship and copulation, female Argyrodes elevatus lay 1 to 2 eggs on the outer areas of a host web. The eggs become embedded in the web threads in these areas, and receive no parental protection after being laid.
