Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events


TaxonomyBrowse
Info
ImagesLinksBooksData

Species Neoscona arabesca - Arabesque Orbweaver

 Arabesque Orbweaver - Neoscona arabesca Spider - Neoscona arabesca Neoscona arabesca - Arabesque orb-weaver? - Neoscona arabesca - female orb weaver? - Neoscona arabesca spider - Neoscona arabesca - male Neoscona arabesca - Arabesque Orbweaver - Neoscona arabesca Spider  - Neoscona arabesca Please help ID this spider - Neoscona arabesca
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 Neoscona (Spotted Orbweavers)
Species arabesca (Arabesque Orbweaver)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Explanation of Names
Author of the name: Walckenaer. Year first published: 1842.
Size
Female 5.5-7 mm
Male 5-6 mm (1)
Identification
Female:



Male N. arabesca

Range
Throughout US and Canada: AB, AL, AR, AZ, BC, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MB, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NB, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NS, NY, OH, OK, ON, OR, PA, PQ, RI, SC, SD, SK, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY
Remarks
You can separate N. arabesca from N. oaxacensis by the three pairs of dorsal, slanting, dark spots found on N. arabesca but absent on N. oaxacensis.

N. arabesca stays in a retreat (usually a curled up leaf) to the side of the web during the day. At night it rests in the center of the web with the tip of the abdomen pushed through the open space in the center of the web. [1]

When separating N. arabesca from N. crucifera and N. domiciliorum, range, size and time of day can be helpful. Also, when the coloring isn't obvious, I tend to think of N. crucifera & N. domiciliorum as having slashes that are more horizontal instead of the more slanted ones found on N. arabesca.

Neoscona arabesca, Neoscona crucifera, Neoscona domiciliorum

Internet References
~ [1] biodiversitylibrary.org - The Orb Weaver Genus Neoscona in North America, Berman & Levi, 1971.
Works Cited
1.The Orb-weaving Spiders of Canada and Alaska - The Insects and Arachnids of Canada Part 23
Dondale, C.D., J.H. Redner, P, Paquin and H.W. Levi. 2003. NRC Research Press.