Cobweb spider vs pinguim-imperador

Enoplognatha thoracica compared with Aptenodytes forsteri

Key Differences

• Cobweb spider is Vulnerable while pinguim-imperador is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cobweb spider	pinguim-imperador
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (artrópode)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Arachnida (aracnídeo)	Aves (ave)
Order	Araneae (aranha)	Sphenisciformes (Penguins)
Family	Theridiidae	Spheniscidae (Penguins)
Genus	Enoplognatha	Aptenodytes (Great Penguins)
Species	Enoplognatha thoracica	Aptenodytes forsteri

Evolutionary Relationship

Cobweb spider and pinguim-imperador share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Cobweb spider

VU — Vulnerable

pinguim-imperador

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~595.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cobweb spider	pinguim-imperador
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	20 years
Average Length	—	1.1 m
Average Weight	—	40.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cobweb spider

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Range

Found across Europe (4 countries) and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

pinguim-imperador

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Norway. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Cobweb spider

Enoplognatha thoracica is a slender cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae, a widespread group of three-dimensional web-building spiders found across the temperate regions of Europe and North America. This small spider, typically measuring 3–5 millimeters in body length, constructs irregular, tangled cobwebs in low vegetation, hedgerows, meadow margins, and scrubby habitats where it captures small flying and crawling arthropods. The body is pale yellowish-brown to creamy white with darker markings on the abdomen, and the legs are long and slender relative to body size, adapted for navigating the three-dimensional structure of its web. Like other theridiids, Enoplognatha thoracica uses a gum-foot trap technique in which sticky vertical threads attached to the substrate at their lower ends snap insects upward when disturbed, immobilizing prey effectively. The species occupies a range spanning much of Europe eastward into temperate Asia and has established populations in parts of North America, likely through accidental human-mediated dispersal. Females produce egg sacs that are guarded within the web until hatching. The species is associated with disturbed and edge habitats and tolerates moderate agricultural landscapes. It is classified as Vulnerable by some assessments, reflecting localized population pressures from habitat loss and intensification of land use in parts of its range, though other evaluations consider it more broadly secure.

pinguim-imperador

O maior pinguim do mundo, os pinguins-imperadores medem até 1,2 metro de altura e pesam 45 kg, habitando o continente antártico em algumas das condições mais extremas da Terra. Reproduzem-se no meio do inverno, na escuridão, a temperaturas abaixo de -60°C, com os machos incubando ovos únicos sobre os pés sob uma bolsa de criação por 65 dias enquanto as fêmeas estão no mar. Seu comportamento de aglomeração — onde os indivíduos revezam-se pelo centro quente de grupos de milhares — é uma obra-prima de sobrevivência cooperativa.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway