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Genus Araneus

orb weaver - Araneus Abdominal surface - Araneus andrewsi tiny orbweaver spider? - Araneus Orb Weaver - Araneus miniatus Araneus pratensis - female Male Araneus guttulatus? - Araneus guttulatus - male unidentified spider88640 - Araneus diadematus Yellow Spider - Orange candy striped legs - Araneus marmoreus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)
No Taxon (Entelegynae)
Family Araneidae (Orb Weavers)
Genus Araneus
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Explanation of Names
Araneus Clerck, 1757
Numbers
There are more than 50 species in the US and Canada.
Range
This list of species and range information has been compiled from a combination of the World Spider Catalog and the Spiders of North America site listed below. If the species name is in bold, that species has a guide page here on BugGuide.

abigeatus - (misidentified?)
alboventris - GA, NH, CT
allani - AZ
andrewsi - OR, CA
apache - ??
arizonensis - AZ, NM, CO
bicentenarius - NM, TX, WI, MN, MI, IL, IN, ON, LA, AL, GA, FL, SC, TN, NC, VA, WV, PA, NJ, NY, MA, NH, ME, NS
bispinosus - CA
bivittatus - AL, GA, NC, MD, NY, CT, MA, NH, ME, FL
bonsallae - NE, TX, MO, IL, AR, LA, GA, NC, FL, VA, MD, NY
calusa - FL
carroll - AR
cavaticus - TX, AL, TN, KY, WV, VA, OH, PA, NY, ON, QC, CT, MA, VT, NH, ME, NS, NB
cingulatus - TX, MO, AR, IL, LA, KY, TN, FL, GA, NC, VA, MD, NY, NJ, PA, MA
cochise - AZ
corticarius - AK, YT, NT, AB, SK, MB, ON, ND, MN, WI, MI, IN, PA, NY, MA, NH, ME, CT, NS
detrimentosus - CA, AZ, TX, MS, AL, FL
diadematus - BC, WA, OR, MI, OH, PA, ON, NY, QC, RI, MA, NS, NL
gadus - AR, AL, NC, MD, MA, GA
gemma - BC, WA, OR, ID, MT, CA
gemmoides - AL, MI, WI, MN, IL, MO, IA, ND, SD, NE, SK, AB, BC, MT, WY, CO, UT, AZ, CA, NV, ID, OR, WA
groenlandicola - AB, MB, ON, QC, MN, ME, NS, NL
guerrerensis - AZ (same sp. as chiricahua)
guttulatus - WI, IL, AR, AL, GA, NC, SC, VA, MI, NY, NH, ME, MN
illaudatus - AZ, TX (= pima) OR, CA, NV, UT, AZ, NM, TX
iviei - AB, SK, MB, ON, MI, PA, NY, CT, MA, VT, NH, ME, AK
juniperi - TX, AR, IL, AL, GA, FL, NC, MD, NY, MA, ME, NH, CT
kerr - TX
mammatus - AZ, UT
mariposa - CA
marmoreus - AZ, BC, NT, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NL, OR, WA, MT, WY, UT, ND, NE, MN, WI, IA, MI, IL, IA, KS, MO, AR, TX, MS, AL, GA, TN, KY, WV, VA, NC, SC, OH, PA, NY, NJ, CT, MA, VT, NH, ME
miami - FL
miniatus - MA, CT, NY, NC, TN, TX, LA, MS, AL, GA, FL, OH
missouri - (= raui) MO
monica - CA
montereyensis - CA
nashoba - TX, NJ, NY, MA, ME, TN, FL
niveus - MO, IL, AR, LA, KY, TN, AL, GA, FL, NC, MD, NY, CT, VA
nordmanni - YT, BC, NT, AB, SK, WA, OR, ID, MT, WY, UT, CA, CO, AZ, NM, TX, ON, QC, LB, WI, MN, MI, TN, NC, VA, WV, PA, NY, CT, MA, VT, NH, ME, NB, NS,
partitus - NY, CT, (MD, WV, VA?), NC, SC, GA, FL, MS, AR, IL, OH, OK
pegnia - CA, AZ, TX, LA, MS, AL, GA, FL, NC, VA, WV, MD, OH, IN, NY, NJ, CT, MA, NH
pratensis - NH, VT, MA, CT, NY, PA, OH, MI, IL, IA, MO, AR, NC, TX, FL (VA?, MD?, WV?)
prunus - FL, MD, MS
saevus - AL, YT, BC, WA, OR, AB, MB, SK, ON, QC, ID, MT, WY, UT, CO, SD, MN, WI, MI, NY, PA, VT, MA, CT, NH, ME, NB, NS, NL
santarita - AZ
texanus - TX
thaddeus - AZ, UT, NE, MN, WI, IL, MO, AR, KY, OH, TN, AL, GA, NC, WV, VA, MD, PA, NJ, NY, CT, VT, NH, MA
trifolium - AK, BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NL, NS, ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, NY, PA, NJ, MD, VA, WV, NC, TN, AL, OH, IN, IL, MI, WI, MN, IA, ND, SD, CO, NM, UT, WY, ID, MT, WA, OR, CA
tuscarora - NC
washingtoni - NH, ME, NL
yukon - YT
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Note: the two-letter code for Quebec was changed from PQ to QC in 1991; the code for Newfoundland and Labrador was changed from NF to NL in 2001 (source)
Remarks
Several species of Neoscona and Araneus that are considered "barn spiders" can only be identified by examination of the carapace groove (fovea). Neoscona have a longitudinal groove on the carapace (parallel with the long axis of the body), whereas Araneus have angular (transverse) grooves. However, an apparent problem is that in Araneus the groove may appear as little more than a dimple, making it difficult to discern.

Neoscona
  

Araneus
  

Some of the smaller species in this genus were revised and described by Levi in 1973, pp. 473-552 - Small orb-weavers of the genus Araneus north of Mexico (Araneae, Araneidae).

Articles
See Also
Print References
Levi, H. W. 1971. The diadematus group of the orb-weaver genus Araneus north of Mexico (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 141(4):131-179 (Biodiversity Heritage Library).
Levi, H. W. 1973. Small orb-weavers of the genus Araneus north of Mexico (Araneae: Araneidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 145(9):473-552 (Biodiversity Heritage Library).
Internet References