Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

Spotted Orb-weavers

Does anyone know why Neoscona are called spotted orb-weavers? I don't see many spots on them. Could the name refer to how easily they are 'spotted'? That seems silly, so probably not. Anyone know?

No idea
I always wondered that myself! Seems like lots of the other genera of orbweaver have various types of spots, too, so it's not like having spots sets them apart. Hmm, weird nickname.

spotted
well I guess some of them are spotted, like this one

 
I'm not sure
but I think the epithet "spotted" are due to white spots found on ventral side of abdomen of some species of Neoscona.

Neoscona domiciliorum
Neoscona oaxacensis
Neoscona crucifera
Neoscona arabesca
Neoscona nautica

I don't know if the epithet "spotted" for common name of genus, come from the observable spots of ventral abdomen of more species, but stricto sensu " Spotted Orbweaver" it is the common name for Neoscona domiciliorum which has four white spots very visible.
Neoscona oaxacensis has the common name Western Spotted Orbweaver and it had too, four white spots very clear.

Well, it is a hypothesis. I have not read it anywhere. I just inferred from N.domiciliorum and N.oaxacensis, species description.

 
Ventral Spots
Well that makes more sense than anything else I've heard. That may certainly bee the answer. Thanks Iustin.

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.