Araneus gemma is a member of the family of orb weaver spiders. They are often referred to as the cat-faced spider, a name it shares with Araneus gemmoides.
Size: Male: 0.6-0.8 cm (0.236-0.314 in) Female: 1-1.2 cm (0.393-0.472 in)
Color: They are grey to brownish purple in color.
Other Characteristic Features: The abdomen has anterior paired humps, with a medial light stripe of variable length seen in certain specimens.
The eggs are laid inside a sac of orange silk.
The spiderlings are brown with yellow abdomens.
The silk of this spider’s web is 1 to 4 μm in diameter.
The venom of these spiders contains argiotoxins, low potency toxins used to hunt their prey but is harmless to humans.
| Lifespan | Around 12 months |
| Distribution | Western United States and Canada |
| Habitat | Open areas of trees, large shrubbery, and inside houses |
| Diet | Insects |
American naturalist Henry Christopher McCook first described this spider in 1888.
Image Source: nathistoc.bio.uci.edu
Araneus gemma is a member of the family of orb weaver spiders. They are often referred to as the cat-faced spider, a name it shares with Araneus gemmoides.
Araneus gemma
Size: Male: 0.6-0.8 cm (0.236-0.314 in) Female: 1-1.2 cm (0.393-0.472 in)
Color: They are grey to brownish purple in color.
Other Characteristic Features: The abdomen has anterior paired humps, with a medial light stripe of variable length seen in certain specimens.
The eggs are laid inside a sac of orange silk.
The spiderlings are brown with yellow abdomens.
The silk of this spider’s web is 1 to 4 μm in diameter.
The venom of these spiders contains argiotoxins, low potency toxins used to hunt their prey but is harmless to humans.
| Lifespan | Around 12 months |
| Distribution | Western United States and Canada |
| Habitat | Open areas of trees, large shrubbery, and inside houses |
| Diet | Insects |
American naturalist Henry Christopher McCook first described this spider in 1888.
Image Source: nathistoc.bio.uci.edu
