Overview
Interesting Facts
Common Names
Common Names in English:
Barn Spider, Orb Weavers
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. [1]
Habitat
Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,998 meters (0 to 9,836 feet).[2]
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Animalia
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
()
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Protostomia
()
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
()
- A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. 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
()
- C. Clerck, 1757
- Spiders
- Suborder:
Opisthothelae
()
- Pocock, 1892
- Infraorder:
Araneomorphae
()
- Smith, 1902
- Superfamily:
Araneoidea
()
- C. Clerck, 1757
- 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
(
Synonyms
Aranea crucifera albimaculata Strand • Epeira crucifera Keyserling • Epeira domiciliorum Emerton • Epeira hentzii Keyserling • Epeira lentiginosa Blackwall • Neoscona arkansa Chamberlin & Ivie • Neoscona benjamina Comstock • Neoscona hentzi Kaston • Neoscona nebraskensis Chamberlin & Ivie • Neoscona sacra Chamberlin & Ivie
Notes
Name
Status: Accepted Name
.
Last scrutiny: 05-Jan-2008
Similar Species
Members of the genus Neoscona
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 5 species and subspecies in this genus:
N. arabesca (Orb Weaver Spider) · N. crucifera (Barn Spider) · N. domiciliorum (Orb Weaver) · N. nautica (Brown Sailor Spider) · N. rufofemorata (Brown-Legged Spider)
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
Notes
Contributors
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 16, 2012.
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal January 09, 2008:
- Canadian Arachnologist Nearctic Spider Database, Canadian Arachnologist Nearctic Spider Database
- Senckenberg, Collection Arachnology
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3549309
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Ara-016706
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 229616
Footnotes
- http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Basilica&search=Search [back]
- Mean = 1,324.930 meters (4,346.883 feet), Standard Deviation = 1,058.550 based on 96 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
