Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Micrathena sagittata - Arrowshaped Micrathena

Spider and fly. - Micrathena sagittata ? - Micrathena sagittata Micrathena sagittata Arrowshaped Micrathena - Micrathena sagittata Micrathena sagittata - male Arrowshaped Micrathena - Micrathena sagittata - female Arrowshaped Micrathena - Micrathena sagittata - female Arrow-shaped Micrathena - Micrathena sagittata - Micrathena sagittata - 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 Araneidae (Orb Weavers)
Genus Micrathena
Species sagittata (Arrowshaped Micrathena)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Explanation of Names
Micrathena sagittata (Walckenaer, 1841)
sagittata (L). "arrowed, in the form of an arrow"
Size
Female 8-9mm, Male 4-5mm (1)
Identification
Female: three pairs of pointed tubercles on the abdomen, with the rear pair large and spreading to give the abdomen a triangular look. Tubercles are black-tipped and red at the base. The center of the dorsum is yellow. Male abdomen does not have spines, widest at rear. (1)

Palp:
Range
e. US to Texas and Nebraska. (1)
Habitat
Builds webs in open woods. (1)
Remarks
Web often has a short stabilimentum above the hub. (1)
This spider does not pose a danger to humans (and neither do any others in this family).
Print References
Kaston, p. 133-134 & Figures 334, 335 (1)
Spiders & Their Kin, p. 67 (2)
Internet References
Enciclovida. In Spanish
Works Cited
1.How to Know the Spiders
B. J. Kaston. 1978. WCB/McGraw-Hill.
2.Spiders and Their Kin: A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press
Herbert W. Levi, Lorna R. Levi, Nicholas Strekalovsky. 2001. St. Martin's Press.