A "Spider Seal" was discovered in Qingcheng Mountain. Its exquisite pattern resembles a copper coin. Could it have evolved naturally?

The Richter's disc-bellied spider has a very unique appearance and the exquisite patterns on the end of its abdomen resemble copper coins, so people jokingly call it the "spider seal".

This is a small spider mainly distributed in tropical Asia. It is more common in South Asian countries such as Thailand. In my country, it is mainly distributed in Fujian, Zhejiang and Sichuan. Although it is distributed in many provinces in my country, this small spider is actually relatively rare in my country and is rarely seen. Historical records of this spider add up to less than 20, and in recent years, only about six or seven have been seen in my country. Therefore, the reappearance of the Richter's disc-bellied spider in Qingcheng Mountain this time is something that many biologists did not expect.

The cause was that an old farmer named Liu in Dujiangyan City was suddenly bitten by some creature while picking rapeseed flowers. He hurriedly shook his hand and saw that it was a "copper coin".

Afterwards, Lao Liu developed symptoms of poisoning, but fortunately he received medical treatment in time and was not in danger. Later, after listening to Lao Liu's story, biological experts began to search in the mountains. After two searches, they finally found two strange insect caves, similar to ant caves, but obviously larger than ant caves. The cave entrances also had lids made of a mixture of spider silk and soil. After digging up the caves, the experts found the creature that bit Lao Liu, which was exactly as Lao Liu described, and it was really a "copper coin".

Experts quickly identified the creature as the Richter's trapdoor spider, also known as the amputee spider or the money trapdoor spider.

Although it is not a new species, it has made experts very excited because this spider is rarely seen in my country. Its reappearance in Qingcheng Mountain may be related to the unique natural climate of Qingcheng Mountain. Qingcheng Mountain is located at the turning point between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Sichuan Basin. The entire mountain range stretches for thousands of miles, which makes the climate in the Qingcheng Mountain area very abnormal. There are completely different weather conditions on the mountain and below the mountain, which is very suitable for insects to live. Therefore, the insect species in the Qingcheng Mountain area have always been relatively rich.

The most typical feature of the spider is the grinding wheel-shaped end of its abdomen.

There are three pairs of ring-shaped indentations of different sizes in the center and near the back of the millstone. There are radial grooves from the indentations to the periphery, forming an exquisite pattern that looks like a copper coin. Anyone who sees this creature for the first time will have doubts in their hearts. They can't believe that such a creature was formed through natural evolution. We can only say that nature is so wonderful. The Richter's disc-bellied spider is a typical burrowing animal. They dig holes by themselves and decorate the caves with spider silk, which is hidden and safe.

The most unique thing is that the Rees's disc-bellied spider will use a mixture of spider silk and soil to make a movable lid and place it on the entrance of the cave. It will also attach sand and moss to the lid to make it blend in with the environment.

The cave is both a shelter and a hunting ground for the spider. On weekdays, it will lurk under the cover. Once prey passes by, it will quickly attack and drag the prey back to the cave. The prey paralyzed by the neurotoxin has no ability to resist, so the spider can enjoy its food with peace of mind. The prey of the spider is mainly various arthropods, and sometimes it also hunts frogs and lizards.

Although the cave of the Richter's disc-bellied spider has a solid lid and the end of its coin-like abdomen can provide a second layer of defense, there are still some creatures that can break through these defenses. They are the natural enemies of the Richter's disc-bellied spider, scorpions and wasps. They can rush into the cave, sting the Richter's disc-bellied spider with their venom, and then eat it.

This is how nature works. There is no real invulnerability, only mutual adaptation. The better the righteous, the better the devil. In addition, although the Reed's disc-bellied spider is very rare in my country, it is not a national protected animal, so it can sometimes be seen in the pet market.