Spider - Acanthepeira stellata

Moved

Moved from Acanthepeira. This is our best guess based on size of tubercles. Please keep in mind that these can crossbreed.

… Lynette Elliott, 16 March, 2013 - 10:15am

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… Lynette Elliott, 20 November, 2009 - 9:49am

Acanthepeira sp.

Beautiful find! I wish we had these beauts over here. I've never had the privilege of seeing one in person.

This is a female Acanthepeira of the Araneidae family of Orbweavers. What separates this genus from other 'heavily tubercled' orb weavers is the anterior median spine (also called a tubercle). This is the one situated right above its 'head' and pointing forward. According to Levi, their maximum size is 16mm (in body length), so yours definitely fits within that range. There are currently 4 known species in the Acanthepeira genus...and all of them inhabit North Carolina (among other states, of course); so we won't be able to narrow the species down based on locality. However, A. cherokee has blunt tubercules so I think we can cross that species off. A. venusta seems to be a species that is commonly around water or vegetation emerging from water...and it is said that it can submerge itself in water without drowning. I don't know anything about the A. marion species. I will admit that your specimen really resembles the stellata species that I have seen a drawing of in an article (this is also the most dominant species recorded in Bug Guide). But none of the specimens in Bug Guide have an epigyne photo for proof of the species...and that is the sort of dilemma that myself and other spider fans must deal with...which leads to my next question :) -->

If you still have access to her, would you be able to take a photo of her underside (the epigyne area)? This would help us to ID it to a species. But if this isn't possible, the genus ID is just fine (Acanthepeira sp). One other thing that is nice to know...what sort of situation was she in when you found her? Was she just on a wall at the college, or was she moved somewhere else for photographing? etc...

… Mandy Howe, 20 November, 2009 - 2:45am

Exciting genus!

Hi Mandy,
Please check out/comment on our images here.
Gayle

… Gayle and Jeanell Strickland, 20 November, 2009 - 9:31am

Oh boy!

When I said that none of the stellata submissions had epigyne photos...I completely forgot about the Acanthepeira that were still sitting at genus! And there truly are some beautiful epigyne photos there! I am sorry to have missed them earlier...and I'd like to withdraw that mention of missing epigyne photos. And also, Gayle and Jeanell, your photo series' are always in a league of their own! ...so wonderful!

I truly am no expert, just a spider fan...but I will comment as best as I can. :)

… Mandy Howe, 20 November, 2009 - 6:06pm

On the Wall

at the College, there are deep grooves in which all sorts of moths alight, and crickets and beetles wander. Tonight I saw her halfway in and halfway out of one of these grooves. I will try to locate her again tomorrow and see if I can photograph her undersides. Chances are she will be gone, as there always seem to be different insects and arachnids on the wall each night.

The environment around the school is heavily wooded with many creeks and swamps.

I did not move her. She was gregarious and did not mind my photographing her. She finally pulled herself up on a single strand of silk while I took as many photographs as possible before she was too high. Most of them did not turn out well. She went upward toward the light fixture, but settled underneath it where it was dark.

… Rick Miller, 20 November, 2009 - 3:38am

> She went upward toward the

> She went upward toward the light fixture, but settled
> underneath it where it was dark.

If the food source is as good as you say, then that's about where you'll find her next time, I would imagine.

-K

… Kevin Pfeiffer, 20 November, 2009 - 4:38am