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Taxonomy
Micrathena gracilis (Walckenaer, 1805)
EOL Text
endemic to a single nation
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Micrathena+gracilis |
Canada
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
United States
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Micrathena+gracilis |
The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.
There are 2 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.
Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.
See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 2
Specimens with Barcodes: 7
Species With Barcodes: 1
Canada
Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Micrathena+gracilis |
Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Micrathena+gracilis |
Micrathena gracilis is a spider in the family Araneidae (orb-weavers), commonly known as the spined micrathena. This spider spins a moderately large (can be 30 cm (11.81 in) or more across), very tightly coiled web, often in wooded or brushy areas. Some call it the "CD spider" because its webs can make it appear as though there are compact discs hanging from the trees. It is completely harmless to humans.
Physical characteristics[edit]
The only web-building members of the species are the females. Females are 8-10 mm long. They exhibit a bulbous abdomen with a total of ten spines. Males exhibit a fair amount of sexual dimorphism. They tend to be around only half the size of the females. Also, they have fewer spines, a flatter abdomen, and a slightly lighter tone. Although males can produce silk, they mostly use it in the mating ritual, which frequently also proves fatal.
Life cycle[edit]
Micrathena gracilis hatches in the spring, the image of an adult. After the summer's growth, the female lays eggs in a sack. These remain relatively dormant through the winter months. The general life span is one year in length.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spined_Micrathena&oldid=654141971 |
Female Micrathena gracilis are easily recognized by their bulky, striped or mottled abdomen adorned with five pairs of black-tipped spines. They are usually about 1 cm long. This species is sexually dimorphic. Males are much smaller than females, and their abdomen is long and flat and lacks prominent spines.
The Spined Micrathena lives in dense deciduous forests in eastern North America and Central America. Females construct a web in large open spaces in the understory. The web is two-dimensional with a sticky, densely woven spiral (Uetz & Hartsock 1987). It is used to trap flying insects. Flies (Diptera) are the most common prey (Uetz 1990, Uetz & Harstock 1987).
Mature males do not build webs (Bukowski & Christenson 1997, Hodge 1987). They visit females in their webs to mate. Sexual cannibalism appears to be rare in this species and has been observed only when two males courted a female simultaneously (Bukowski & Christenson 2000)
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Katja Schulz, Katja Schulz |
Source | No source database. |