Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
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Araneus
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Giant Lichen Orbweaver (Araneus bicentenarius)
Species
Araneus bicentenarius
- Giant Lichen Orbweaver
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
Species
bicentenarius
(Giant Lichen Orbweaver)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
See the
World Spider Catalog
.
Explanation of Names
Araneus bicentenarius
(
McCook
)
Type specimen collected by McCook during Philadelphia's bicentennial in 1882
(
1
)
. (City founded by
William Penn
in 1682.)
Size
13-28 mm (female), 7 mm (male)
(
1
)
Identification
Female (dorsal/ventral)
Male coloration as in female, but with a longitudinal white mark anterior on dorsum; second tibia unusually large.
(
2
)
Range
This species is widespread: Texas to Florida and north to Minnesota and Nova Scotia. One male reported from New Mexico.
(
2
)
Habitat
Woodlands, on trees, among lichens.
(
2
)
Season
Apr-Sept (BG data)
See Also
Eustala
can be similar in pattern but is smaller.
Print References
Howell and Jenkins (2004), pp. 139-140
(
1
)
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
).
Works Cited
1.
Spiders of the Eastern US, A Photographic Guide
W. Mike Howell and Ronald L. Jenkins. 2004. pearson education.
2.
The diadematus group of the orb-weaver genus Araneus north of Mexico
H. W. Levi. 1971. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 141(4): 131-179.
Contributed by
Troy Bartlett
on 16 February, 2004 - 1:20pm
Additional contributions by
cotinis
,
Lynette Elliott
,
cheins
,
Chuck Entz
,
Mike Quinn
,
pfeiffer
Last updated 9 January, 2023 - 10:47am