Description
Family Araneidae
Orb weavers comprise a huge family of spiders, of which there are several hundred species in North America. These spiders vary greatly in color, shape and size, measuring between 2 - 30mm (1/16 -- 1 1/4") long. They have eight eyes arranged in two horizontal rows of four eyes each. The males are generally much smaller than the females and commonly lack the showy coloring of their fairer sex. They often spin their own smaller orb web near an outlying portion of the female's, and I've noticed most males give the females wide berth. Indeed, I rarely see male orb weavers, they are so reclusive.
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- Kingdom:
Animalia
()
- Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
()
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Protostomia
()
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
()
- Aguinaldo Et Al., 1997 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Superphylum:
Panarthropoda
()
- Cuvier
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
()
- Latreille, 1829
- arthropods
- Subphylum:
Arachnomorpha
()
- Heider, 1913
- Infraphylum:
Cheliceriformes
()
- Superclass:
Chelicerata
()
- Epiclass:
Euchelicerata
()
- Class:
Arachnida
()
- Cuvier, 1812
- Arachnids
- Subclass:
Micrura
()
- Order:
Araneae
()
- Clerck, 1757
- Spiders
- Suborder:
Opisthothelae
()
- Infraorder:
Araneomorphae
()
- Superfamily:
Araneoidea
()
- Superfamily:
Araneoidea
(
- Infraorder:
Araneomorphae
(
- Suborder:
Opisthothelae
(
- Order:
Araneae
(
- Subclass:
Micrura
(
- Class:
Arachnida
(
- Epiclass:
Euchelicerata
(
- Superclass:
Chelicerata
(
- Infraphylum:
Cheliceriformes
(
- Subphylum:
Arachnomorpha
(
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
(
- Superphylum:
Panarthropoda
(
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
(
- Branch:
Protostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Similar Species
Members of the genus Epeira
There are approximately 340 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:
E. abscissa · E. acalypha · E. acronota · E. aculeata · E. aculifera · E. acuta · E. adianta · E. aestiva · E. affinis · E. agalena · E. agalenoides · E. alba · E. albostriata · E. albotriangulus · E. alpica · E. amaurophila · E. ambitoria · E. amictoria · E. anama · E. anastera · E. ancora · E. angolensis · E. anguinifera · E. angulata · E. anomala · E. anseripes · E. antriada · E. apoclisa · E. apoclisa americana · E. apotroga · E. appensa · E. aprica · E. arabesca · E. arfakiana · E. argentata · E. argyopes · E. armida · E. arundinacea · E. attestor · E. aubryi · E. aurelia · E. australasia · E. azzara · E. basilica · E. bella · E. benjamina · E. bi-albimacula · E. biapicata · E. bicornis · E. biplagiata · E. bistriata · E. blattea · E. bonsallae · E. borbonica · E. bougainvilla · E. braminica · E. brounii · E. byzanthina · E. caliginosa · E. calophylla · E. canadensis · E. cancer · E. carbonaria · E. carenata · E. carnifex · E. caudata · E. cavatica · E. cerasiae · E. ceropegia · E. chinchoxensis · E. chrysogaster · E. cinefacta · E. cinerea · E. circe · E. citrina · E. clavipes · E. clymene nigrata · E. coccinea · E. conica · E. cooksonii · E. cophinaria · E. cordiformis · E. cornigera · E. cornuta · E. cornuta lurida · E. corrugatum · E. corticaria · E. crassicauda · E. cratera · E. cucurbitina · E. dalmatica · E. dehaanii · E. dentata · E. destricta · E. detrimentosa · E. diadela · E. diadema · E. diademata · E. diadematus · E. discolora
More Info
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- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Notes
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3572445
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 2086086
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 2224498
