Genus Hyptiotes - Triangle web spiders

Classification · Numbers · Identification · Range · Internet References · Works Cited

Adult female - Hyptiotes gertschi - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)

Class Arachnida (Arachnids)

Order Araneae (Spiders)

Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)

No Taxon (Entelegynae)

Family Uloboridae (Cribellate Orb Weavers)

Genus Hyptiotes (Triangle web spiders)

Numbers

4 species in our region: cavatus, gertschi, puebla, and tehama.

Identification

These spiders make a characteristic triangular web with four radii connected to a bridge line which the spider holds taut. The web looks something like a 45-degree portion of a typical orb web.

Range

Found throughout the US and Canada.

H. cavatus is found in the eastern US from New England to southern Florida, west to Wisconsin, Missouri, East Texas; north to below the Great Lakes, New York, New Hampshire coast

H. gertschi is found in the western US, entire west coast, California to Alaska, Idaho and Montana, mountains of Utah and Colorado, and all across Canada, probably with some overlap in range with cavatus in the Northeast.

The other two species appear to be poorly studied and more restricted in range -

H. puebla is found in the Southwest, Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah, west Texas

H. tehama has only been found in portions of Northern California, Tehama and Siskiyou counties, and Wyoming

although this range information may be quite dated.

(1)

Internet References

The Spider Family Uloboridae in North America north of Mexico, Muma and Gertsch revision, American Novitates, 1964. This paper has a description of the genus and a key to the four species found in our region, as well as range maps and drawings of the male and female genitalia and habitus.

Works Cited

1.	The Orb-weaving Spiders of Canada and Alaska - The Insects and Arachnids of Canada Part 23 Dondale, C.D., J.H. Redner, P, Paquin and H.W. Levi. 2003. NRC Research Press.

Contributed by john and jane balaban on 30 July, 2005 - 5:33pm
Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott, Jeff Hollenbeck, kschnei
Last updated 19 January, 2014 - 8:40am

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