Size
Female 6-9mm, Male 4-6.6mm
(1)(2)(3)
Females to 13mm according to Levi
(4)Range
District of Columbia south to Florida and west to Colorado.
(2)(1)Habitat
Found in forest understories and bushes
(2)(4)(3). I've photographed them in Leyland cypress adjacent to my house in Georgia. Females create an orb web pulled into a dome with an irregular shaped web nearby where she waits
(2)(1).
Life Cycle
The female attaches eggsacs to each other vertically in her dome shaped web.
Remarks
Specimens have been found in mud dauber nests
(2).
Also known as
Allepeira conferta (1).
The common name comes from the shape of the snare, resembling the domed ceilings inside some cathredrals
(3).
There appears to be disagreement about whether the snares contain sticky silk. Jackman says no
(2), but Edwards and Marshall say yes
(3).
The latin name, lemniscata, meaning "hanging ribbons", appears to be descriptive of the eggsacs.
Print References
Excellent photos and information in Florida's Fabulous Spiders
(3).
Contributed by
Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 1:20pm
Additional contributions by
kschneiLast updated 31 August, 2008 - 12:54am
