About Meta bourneti Simon, 1922
This species, Meta bourneti Simon, 1922, is a large-sized spider. Male body length ranges from 10 to 13 mm, while female body length ranges from 13 to 16 mm. It is very similar in external morphology to its congener Meta menardi. The prosoma is red-brown with a darker margin, and the legs are also red-brown. The opisthosoma is yellowish, and often completely black along its lateral sides. Meta bourneti is distributed across an area extending from Europe to Georgia and North Africa. It is most commonly found in the twilight zone of caves, and shows a preference for cave walls and roofs, where it spins its orb-web. This species is able to consume a wide variety of prey, including dipterans, moths, centipedes, woodlice, and other cave-dwelling spiders. Females and juveniles can be observed year-round. Males are rare, and are usually found between August and December. The white, drop-shaped eggsac (cocoon) is very similar to that of M. menardi. It is usually laid near cave entrances between October and November, and spiderlings hatch from the cocoon between January and February.
