Gasteracantha cancriformis

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Gasteracantha cancriformis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Araneae Suborder: Araneomorphae Superfamily: Araneoidea Family: Araneidae Genus: Gasteracantha Species: G. cancriformis
Binomial name
Gasteracantha cancriformis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Aranea cancriformis Aranea tetracantha Aranea conchata Aranea hexacantha Epeira lata Epeira servillei Acrosoma hexacantha Gasteracantha hexacantha Gasteracantha velaris Plectana cancriformis Plectana hexacantha Plectana elipsoides Plectana quinqueserrata Plectana sexserrata Plectana triserrata Plectana servillei Plectana lata Plectana atlantica Gasteracantha rubiginosa Gasteracantha picea Gasteracantha mammosa Gasteracantha quadridens Gasteracantha pallida Epeira cancer Gasteracantha moesta Gasteracantha insulana Gasteracantha hilaris Gasteracantha columbiae Gasteracantha kochii Dicantha lata Micrathena triserrata Gasteracantha oldendorffii Gasteracantha canestrinii Gasteracantha callida Gasteracantha raimondii Gasteracantha proboscidea Gasteracantha rufospinosa Gasteracantha maura Gasteracantha elliptica Gasteracantha preciosa Gasteracantha biolleyi Gasteracantha mascula Gasteracantha comstocki Vibradellus carolinus

Gasteracantha cancriformis (the crab spider, spiny-backed orbweaver, spiny orbweaver spider, crab-like orbweaver spider, crab-like spiny orbweaver spider, jewel spider, spiny-bellied orbweaver, jewel box spider or smiley face spider) is a species of spider.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Identification 3 Distribution 4 Ecology 5 Life cycle 6 Web decorations 7 Gallery 8 Footnotes 9 References 10 External links

[edit] Etymology

Latin cancer- "crab" + forma- "shape, form, appearance"

[edit] Identification

Females are 5 to 9 mm long and 10 to 13 mm wide. They six abdominal spine like projections on the abdomen are characteristic. The carapace, legs and underside are black with white spots under the abdomen. Variations occur in the colour of the upperside of the abdomen with black spots on white to yellow ground colour and red spines or yellow instead of whitein length, but 10 to 13 mm wide. Spines are sometimes black. Like in many other spiders, males are much smaller (2 to 3 mm long) and longer than wide. They are similar to the females in colour but have a gray abdomen with white spots and the spines are reduced to four or five stubby projections.

[edit] Distribution

It is found across the southern part of the United States from California to Florida, as well as in Central America, Jamaica, Cuba and certain islands in the Bahamas.

[edit] Ecology

It lives in woodland edges and shrubby gardens. Many of the studies on this spider have taken place in citrus groves in Florida. They frequently live in trees or around trees in shrubs.

[edit] Life cycle

This species of spider does not live very long. In fact, the lifespan only lasts until reproduction, which usually takes place the spring following the winter when they hatched. Females die after producing an egg mass, and males die six days after a complete cycle of sperm induction to the female.

[edit] Web decorations

This spider adds little tufts of silk to its web. These seem not to function to attract prey. Possibly one function is to warn larger animals not to accidentally destroy the web, or to act as camouflage.^[1]

[edit] Gallery

	Top, from Hernando, Florida	Topside and eyes	Underside
On a relatively small web	From Austin, Texas	Gasteracantha mammosa spiderlings next to their egg sac

[edit] Footnotes

1. ^ Eberhard 2006

[edit] References

• Eberhard, William G. (2006): Stabilimenta of Philoponella vicina (Araneae: Uloboridae) and Gasteracantha cancriformis (Araneae: Araneidae): Evidence Against a Prey Attractant Function. Biotropica 39(2): 216-220. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7429.2006.00254.x

[edit] External links