Diving bell spider
Scientific name: Argyroneta aquatica (Clerck, 1757)
Overview
The diving bell spider or water spider is the only species of spider known to live almost entirely under water. It is the only member of the genus Argyroneta and the type genus of the family Argyronetidae. When out of the water, the spider ranges in colour from mid to dark brown, although the hairs on the abdomen give it a dark grey, velvet-like appearance. It is native to freshwater habitats in Europe and Asia.
From the Wikipedia article “Diving bell spider”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
The Catalogue of Life records it in: Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Iran, Central Asia, Mongolia, China, Korea, Japan; Austria; Denmark; France; Japan.
Common names
Also known in English as Water spider.
Names in other languages (7)
- Arabic
- عنكبوت مائي
- Chinese
- 水蛛
- German
- Wasserspinne
- Japanese
- ミズグモ
- Persian
- عنکبوت آب
- Russian
- Водяной паук
- Turkish
- Su örümceği
Related animals
Sources
-
Catalogue of Life — scientific name, classification, common names and range.
Version 2026-09-11, CC BY 4.0.
This species in the Catalogue of Life.
Citation
Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Aedo, C., Aescht, E., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (Version 2026-09-11). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgz5n Source database: The World Spider Catalog.
- GBIF — species page and recorded occurrences.
- Wikidata — names in other languages. Q119195, CC0 1.0.
- Wikipedia — overview, from the article “Diving bell spider”, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo — Norbert Schuller Baupi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
Last updated: 4 October 2026