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Starbellied Orbweaver (Acanthepeira stellata)
Photo#161528
Copyright © 2007
Gayle and Jeanell Strickland
BG1214 C7053 -
Acanthepeira stellata
-
PR-10, 2.6 mi. E Hwy 66, West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, USA
March 22, 2007
Size: body length 7.9 mm.
We believe this is a female Acanthepeira_stellata. Confirmation/correction would be appreciated.
Gayle
Images of this individual:
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Contributed by
Gayle and Jeanell Strickland
on 19 December, 2007 - 10:16am
Last updated 16 March, 2013 - 10:28am
Moved
Moved from
Acanthepeira
. ID based on large tubercles.
…
Lynette Elliott
, 16 March, 2013 - 10:28am
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Moved
Moved from
Starbellied Orb Weaver
.
…
Jeff Hollenbeck
, 2 January, 2008 - 5:36pm
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Moved
Moved from
Orb Weavers
.
…
Gayle and Jeanell Strickland
, 20 December, 2007 - 8:25am
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Looks
Quite a bit like the one on my website. There are two other (at least) Acanthepeira species in the SE. I have not seen them: cherokee and venusta. I'm sure Jeff knows what they look like.
…
Herschel Raney
, 19 December, 2007 - 11:25am
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Possibilities
Took a quick(!) look at Levi 1976 (year I graduated high school).
The possibilities are:
1. A. stellata
2. A. venusta
3. A. cherokee
4. A. marion
Venusta is highly unlikely because venusta has a longer abdomen proportion (1.5 times width) and distribution is predominantly Florida and east coast.
Marion we can rule out because marion is larger (10-16mm) and with marion the median anterior tubercle does not project above carapace.
Cherokee appears slightly wider in the anterior region of abdomen (vs. stellata, which appears wider in the mid-region); stellata shows a more distinctive "arrow mark" in the anterior tubercle region; Levi shows depicts the head region of stellata set further back beneath the abdomen than he does for cherokee.
To know for certain, you will need a close-up of the scape. You have some images of the genital area, but I can't make out a scape at all. Perhaps I'm just not seeing it? Levi writes that mature females have been found "in central and northern states" from May to November.
Judging on appearances, I would say A. stellata. Perhaps someone who has looked at enough of these would immediately know. At least you should be able to get by with Acanthapeira cf. stellata, I think.
Levi's article is interesting reading (as always). It can be found here:
http://ia341003.us.archive.org/2/items/bulletinofmuseum147harv/ (large file)
-Kevin
…
Kevin Pfeiffer
, 19 March, 2009 - 4:45pm
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Thanks Kevin
I have just uploaded a series of images of what I think is Acanthepeira cherokee
here
. I added the second image of the epigynal area of this alleged A. stellata in anticipation of a comparision of it with the alleged A. cherokee. As you noted the venter of this creature is strange! I hope some expert can shed some light on it. I unfortunately did not preserve the specimen.
I was fairly certain that this was A. stellata, even without good genitalia information, but I hoped to reopen a discussion. Your input has certainly justified my hope!
Gayle
…
Gayle and Jeanell Strickland
, 20 March, 2009 - 12:24am
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