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Photo#5476
Immature Spider - Araneus cingulatus

Immature Spider - Araneus cingulatus
Springfield, Virginia, USA
August 3, 2004
This spider was sitting on a leaf of a fruit tree. It appears to be an immature spider with a pale greenish yellow abdomen with brown spots. The poor thing seems to be missing a leg. Any help in identifying is appreciated.

Araneus
and there's a good chance it's arboreal. If that's the case, it makes a small orb web even as an adult.

 
Araniella male?
Looks to me like an adult male spider, and the pattern reminds me of what is, or used to be, Araniella displicata. I haven't kept up with the nomenclature and taxonomy, though, so I could easily be wrong:-)

 
I concur
Very well may be an adult Eric. What I have found is that larger species of orb weaver such as A.diadematus do not mature until mid September. The smaller Araneids maturing in mid July to early August. There can much variability from individual to individual however. The other week I saw an Araneid female of about 0.4 inch long, and nearby, another of the same species half the size. I wish I had my camera.

 
What about
Araneus cingulatus? This spider has the red banded legs of A. guttulatus, Howell and Jenkins, page 146.

 
Thanks, Tom!
I know I can always count on you for spider info! I'll see if the spider makes an orb web, though I have my doubts of finding it again since it just stormed pretty hard.