Araneus illaudatus

Araneus illaudatus, commonly called the Texas orb-weaver is a species of spider belonging to the family Araneidae. It has a rather restricted range in western Texas and eastern Arizona.

The female is a very large, hairy orb-weaver, up to 25 mm in length (excluding legs). The overall colour is a dirty white, sometimes with a pinkish tinge. A distinctive feature is the presence of two roughly triangular dark patches at the front of the abdomen, each with a small white spot within. The male is very much smaller, only reaching 9 mm in length.

References

• Preston-Mafham, Ken (1998). Spiders: Compact Study Guide and Identifier. Angus Books. ISBN 978-1-904594-93-2. 
• Platnick, Norman I. (2009): The world spider catalog, version 9.5. American Museum of Natural History.