Species Theridion kawea

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Remarks · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited

Yet Another Cobweb Weaver with Eggs - Theridion kawea - female

Voucher specimen - Theridion kawea - female

Cobweb Spider - Theridion kawea - 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 Theridiidae (Cobweb Spiders)

Genus Theridion

Species kawea (Theridion kawea)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

See the World Spider Catalog.

Size

Body length, excluding legs, ranges from 2.9 - 3.9 mm.(1)

Identification

Epigynum is an oval depression with a posterior border; a median raised area divides the depression into two equal halves.(1)

Carapace yellow with reddish triangular mark enclosing eye area. Abdomen with a scalloped, reddish, median band bordered by white line. Venter pale/yellow-white.(1) The pattern may be quite variable based on our voucher specimens from Dr. Lenny Vincent (e.g. the black patch on abdomen).

Dr. Herbert Levi commented that the form with the white cross band on the abdomen is only found on a few individuals (L. Vincent and H. Levi, pers. comm. 2014).

The examples below may be the more common color morph(?):

Range

The only published records are from CA, UT, and Chihuahua, Mexico.(1)

Remarks

Only the female has been described.

See Also

Other Theridion, especially Theridion dilutum, which shares much of the same distribution and whose females can have a similar-looking white cross band on the abdomen. Also, the ventral epigynum in Theridion submissum looks similar to T. kawea.

Internet References

World Spider Catalog

ITIS

Works Cited

1.	The spider genera Enoplognatha, Theridion, and Paidisca in America north of Mexico (Araneae, Theridiidae) H.W. Levi. 1957. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 112, article 1, 123 p.

Contributed by Mandy Howe on 18 February, 2016 - 6:16pm
Additional contributions by Nathaniel Green
Last updated 15 October, 2020 - 9:20am

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