Species Micrathena gracilis - Spined Micrathena

Classification · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification

Spined Micrathena - Micrathena gracilis - female

Micrathea gracilis? - Micrathena gracilis

Micrathena Gracilis (Spined Micrathena) - Micrathena gracilis - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Arachnida (Arachnids)

Order Araneae (Spiders)

Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)

No Taxon (Entelegynes)

Family Araneidae (Orb Weavers)

Genus Micrathena

Species gracilis (Spined Micrathena)

Explanation of Names

Latin: "slender, slight"

Size

Females 8 - 10 mm, males average 4.5 mm.

One specimen (a female) from Durham, North Carolina, 30 July, measured 11 mm from head to tip of abdomen.

Identification

Females are mostly white or pale yellow, mottled with black or brown. They have ten spines on the chunky abdomen. Size 8 - 10 mm.

Males are flat with an elongated yellowish or white abdomen. They lack all but one or two abdominal spines and are smaller than females, averaging 4.5mm in size.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 1:20pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Hannah Nendick-Mason, Chuck Entz
Last updated 13 August, 2006 - 10:05am

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