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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Orb Weavers (Araneidae) » Mecynogea » Basilica Orbweaver (Mecynogea lemniscata)

Species Mecynogea lemniscata - Basilica Orbweaver

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Small Spider - Orchard Spider? - Mecynogea lemniscata

Sheetweb Spider? - Mecynogea lemniscata - female

Basilica Orb Weaver with Prey - Mecynogea lemniscata

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 Mecynogea

Species lemniscata (Basilica Orbweaver)

Other Common Names

Basilica Spider

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

See the World Spider Catalog.

Allepeira conferta (1).

Explanation of Names

The latin name, lemniscata, meaning "hanging ribbons", appears to be descriptive of the eggsacs.

The common name comes from the shape of the snare, resembling the domed ceilings inside some cathredrals (2).

Size

Female 6-9mm, Male 4-6.6mm (1)(3)(2)

Females to 13mm according to Levi (4)

Identification

Female

web & egg sac

Range

District of Columbia south to Florida and west to Colorado. (3)(1) The guide contains photos from points as far as mid-state New York, suggesting the range extends further north.

Habitat

Found in forest understories and bushes (3)(4)(2). I've photographed them in Leyland cypress adjacent to my house in Georgia. Females create an orb web pulled into a dome with an irregular shaped web nearby where she waits (3)(1).

Season

Summer and Autumn (2)

Life Cycle

The female attaches egg sacs to each other vertically in her dome shaped web.

Remarks

Specimens have been found in mud dauber nests (3).

There appears to be disagreement about whether the snares contain sticky silk. Jackman says no (3), but Edwards and Marshall say yes (2).

Print References

Excellent photos and information in Florida's Fabulous Spiders (2).

Internet References

Some photos at Florida Nature and Nick's Spiders.

Works Cited

1.	How to Know the Spiders B. J. Kaston. 1978. WCB/McGraw-Hill.

2.	Florida's Fabulous Spiders Sam Marshall, G. B. Edwards. 2002. World Publications.

3.	A Field Guide to Spiders and Scorpions of Texas John A. Jackman. 2002. Gulf Publishing.

4.	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.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 1:20pm
Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott, cheins, kschnei, ceiseman
Last updated 14 August, 2015 - 8:00am

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