Spiny-backed orb-weaver, a part of the orb-weaver family widely occurs in the New World. Their name is an outcome of the spine-like projections on their back.
Size: Females are 0.20 – 0.35 inches (0.5 – 0.88 cm) while males are smaller, measuring 0.39–0.51 inches (0.99 – 1.2 cm)
Color: The underside, legs, and carapace appear black, with white spots marked on the abdomen. The upper side of the abdomen could be white or yellow, and the color of the spines would vary accordingly. The white upperside would have black or red spines, whereas, in the case of the yellow variation it would be just black.
The coloration mentioned above is mostly seen in females, while the male species have a grayish abdomen, spotted in white .
Other Characteristic Features: The females have six abdominal projections, while in males it is reduced to four or five.
The eggs after laid on a silken sheet are wrapped in yellowish or white silken strands. They hatch within 13 days and have a pinkish-white coloration just before their first molt.
At the onset they appear bright and within 5 or 7 days become darker. The spiderlings usually emerge during the winter and disperse on their own in the following spring as they gain sexual maturity.
Female spiders make webs every night using silken strands, and then sit on it facing downwards waiting for their prey. The males hang from a single thread near the web to allure females.
Though not aggressive, they bite if disturbed or provoked, which, however is not venomous causing minimum symptoms.
| Other Names | Spinybacked orb weaver, star spider |
| Distribution | United States, Cuba, Jamaica |
| Habitat | Shrubby gardens, woodlands edges, trees |
| Diet | Moths, whiteflies, beetles, and drosophilids |
| Web Type | Orb web |
| Predator | Whiteflies, beetles, flies, moths |
| Lifespan | Maximum 1 year |
| IUCN Conservation Status | Not listed |
Image Credits: Live.staticflickr.com, Bio.pisceswebdesign.com, 4.bp.blogspot.com, Bio.pisceswebdesign.com, 1.bp.blogspot.com,
I.pinimg.com
Spiny-backed orb-weaver, a part of the orb-weaver family widely occurs in the New World. Their name is an outcome of the spine-like projections on their back.
Size: Females are 0.20 – 0.35 inches (0.5 – 0.88 cm) while males are smaller, measuring 0.39–0.51 inches (0.99 – 1.2 cm)
Color: The underside, legs, and carapace appear black, with white spots marked on the abdomen. The upper side of the abdomen could be white or yellow, and the color of the spines would vary accordingly. The white upperside would have black or red spines, whereas, in the case of the yellow variation it would be just black.
The coloration mentioned above is mostly seen in females, while the male species have a grayish abdomen, spotted in white .
Other Characteristic Features: The females have six abdominal projections, while in males it is reduced to four or five.
The eggs after laid on a silken sheet are wrapped in yellowish or white silken strands. They hatch within 13 days and have a pinkish-white coloration just before their first molt.
At the onset they appear bright and within 5 or 7 days become darker. The spiderlings usually emerge during the winter and disperse on their own in the following spring as they gain sexual maturity.
Female spiders make webs every night using silken strands, and then sit on it facing downwards waiting for their prey. The males hang from a single thread near the web to allure females.
Though not aggressive, they bite if disturbed or provoked, which, however is not venomous causing minimum symptoms.
| Other Names | Spinybacked orb weaver, star spider |
| Distribution | United States, Cuba, Jamaica |
| Habitat | Shrubby gardens, woodlands edges, trees |
| Diet | Moths, whiteflies, beetles, and drosophilids |
| Web Type | Orb web |
| Predator | Whiteflies, beetles, flies, moths |
| Lifespan | Maximum 1 year |
| IUCN Conservation Status | Not listed |
Image Credits: Live.staticflickr.com, Bio.pisceswebdesign.com, 4.bp.blogspot.com, Bio.pisceswebdesign.com, 1.bp.blogspot.com,
I.pinimg.com
