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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Orb Weavers (Araneidae) » Aculepeira » Aculepeira packardi
Photo#349630
Orb spider - Aculepeira packardi
Copyright © 2009 Lynn Monroe

Orb spider - Aculepeira packardi
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, San Diego County, California, USA
February 22, 1998
Size: BL~10.5 mm
This orb spider was seen in Little Surprise Canyon at the mouth of Hellhole Canyon, elevation around 750-800 feet. Its orb was between two wands of Vasey Sage (Salvia vaseyi) and was about 10" in diameter.

This spider is very similar to the Common Orb Weaver female (Neoscona oxacensis) as photographed in Hogue's Insects of the LA Basin, p. 379. Hogue describes it as LA's most common orb weaver. But BugGuide's Neoscona did not look so similar to ours. Any help will be much appreciated.
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Contributed by Lynn Monroe on 6 November, 2009 - 2:37pm
Last updated 17 January, 2013 - 8:56am

Moved
Moved from Aculepeira. ID based on range and dorsal pattern.
… Lynette Elliott, 17 January, 2013 - 8:56am login or register to post comments

 
Aculepeira packardi
Thanks for moving to this ID, Lynette.
… Lynn Monroe, 17 January, 2013 - 5:21pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Lynette Elliott, 7 November, 2009 - 10:29am login or register to post comments

That looks more like Aculepei
That looks more like Aculepeira, doesn't it? Perhaps A. packardi?

-K
… Kevin Pfeiffer, 6 November, 2009 - 4:19pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks so much!
In Ubick et al, Spiders of NA, the Araneidae chapter key shows Aculepeira with this pattern. But when I went to BugGuide, A. packardii was so very hairy that I thought no way. I've just taken my photo into Photoshop and it is hairy, though not nearly so much as the BugGuide photo. I'm encouraged you think this is the right genus--and species!
… Lynn Monroe, 6 November, 2009 - 5:55pm login or register to post comments

 
The amount of hairiness can v
The amount of hairiness can vary -- also (and perhaps more so) the amount that one can see in a photograph. It depends to a great deal on the amount of sharpening that was done.

The reason that I thought packardi (other than appearance) is that it is the only species of Aculepeira I found in Steve Low's Spiders of California list.

-K
… Kevin Pfeiffer, 7 November, 2009 - 1:51am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks again
I'm glad to hear the hairiness can vary (besides photoshopping!).
… Lynn Monroe, 7 November, 2009 - 11:01am login or register to post comments

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