▁the ▁female ▁construct ing ▁a ▁large ▁orb ▁web ▁some ▁ 1 . 5 ▁metres ▁across , ▁stretch ing ▁between ▁trees ▁or ▁shr ubs . ▁Its ▁d ors al ▁surface ▁is ▁crypt ically ▁col oured ▁with ▁horn y ▁pro jections ▁which ▁aid ▁in ▁cam ou fl age ; ▁legs ▁are ▁d rab ly ▁col oured ▁seen ▁from ▁above ▁and ▁clearly ▁z eb ra - strip ed ▁when ▁viewed ▁from ▁beneath . ▁During ▁day light ▁hours ▁she ▁dis m ant les ▁her ▁web ▁and ▁ret ires ▁to ▁a ▁nearby ▁branch , ▁t uck ing ▁her ▁legs , ▁which ▁are ▁covered ▁with ▁fine ▁hair , ▁against ▁her ▁body , ▁bl ending ▁with ▁the ▁surr ound ings ▁to ▁res emble ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁branch , ▁complete ▁with ▁growth ▁bul ges . ▁The ▁common ▁b ark ▁sp ider ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁w ides p read ▁of ▁the ▁B ark ▁sp iders ▁found ▁in ▁Southern ▁Africa ▁and ▁shows ▁considerable ▁variation ▁in ▁ab d omen ▁shape . ▁The ▁ab d omen ▁pro tr udes ▁over ▁the ▁car ap ace , ▁while ▁its ▁eight ▁small ▁eyes ▁are ▁located ▁on ▁a ▁t uber cle ▁at ▁the ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁car ap ace . ▁Though ▁mainly ▁no ct urn al , ▁it ▁may ▁be ▁found ▁on ▁its ▁web ▁in ▁sh ady , ▁for ested ▁areas ▁during ▁the ▁day . ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁Gallery ▁Gallery ▁i Sp ot ▁post ▁The ▁Ph oto ▁Forum ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : Sp iders ▁of ▁Africa ▁sex cus pid ata ▁Category : Sp iders ▁described ▁in ▁ 1