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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Nursery Web Spiders (Pisauridae) » Pisaurina » Nursery Web Spider (Pisaurina mira)

Species Pisaurina mira - Nursery Web Spider

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Pisauridae, Nursery Web, frontal - Pisaurina mira

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)

Class Arachnida (Arachnids)

Order Araneae (Spiders)

Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)

No Taxon (Entelegynae)

Family Pisauridae (Nursery Web Spiders)

Genus Pisaurina

Species mira (Nursery Web Spider)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

See the World Spider Catalog.

Identification

The nearly straight anterior row of eyes clearly distinguishes this species from P. undulata and P. dubia which have strongly recurved anterior rows. (1)

According to James Carico (1) there are six variations of P. mira. Here is an attempt to attach a photo to each of his six drawings in the reference below. Images 1-5 are for females, 6 is for the male.

#1 & 2 - Typical

#3 Broken pattern (this was on a very large specimen)

#4 Spotted Pattern (also a very large specimen, almost no pattern visible)

#5 Center Line Pattern

#6 Typical mature male proportions (other patterning variants like those seen above are also possible)

#7 Spiderling

#8 Nursery

Range

Eastern species occurring from New England and southern Ontario west to Minnesota and south to Texas and Florida. (1)

Habitat

Fields, shrubs, and forest understory vegetation (1)

Season

Adults spring to early autumn (1)

Remarks

The nursery web is placed in low vegetation near the boundary between a field and woods. This spider frequently holds its front legs extended in pairs. (1)

Print References

(1) psyche.entclub.org - (PDF) The Nearctic Spider Genus Pisaurina by James Carico.

Internet References

Animal Diversity Web - University of Michigan

Works Cited

1.	Common Spiders of North America Richard A. Bradley . 2012. University of California Press .

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 22 March, 2004 - 11:20pm
Additional contributions by Hannah Nendick-Mason, Lynette Elliott, cheins, kschnei, Mandy Howe, Marci Hess, chuuuuung
Last updated 10 November, 2024 - 11:28am

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