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Gasteracantha cancriformis
Female
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Araneidae
Genus:	Gasteracantha
Species:	G. cancriformis
Binomial name
Gasteracantha cancriformis ( Linnaeus, 1758) [1]
Synonyms
Aranea cancriformis Linnaeus, 1758 Aranea conchata Slabber, 1769 Aranea tetracantha Linnaeus, 1767 Dicantha lata (Walckenaer, 1805) Epeira cancer Hentz, 1850 Epeira lata Walckenaer, 1805 Epeira servillei Guérin, 1825 Gasteracantha biolleyi Banks, 1905 Gasteracantha callida O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1879 Gasteracantha canestrinii O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1879 Gasteracantha columbiae Giebel, 1863 Gasteracantha comstocki Mello-Leitão, 1917 Gasteracantha elliptica Gétaz, 1893 Gasteracantha hilaris Thorell, 1859 Gasteracantha insulana Thorell, 1859 Gasteracantha kochii Butler, 1873 Gasteracantha mammosa C. L. Koch, 1844 Gasteracantha mascula Strand, 1916 Gasteracantha maura McCook, 1894 Gasteracantha moesta Thorell, 1859 Gasteracantha oldendorffii Holmberg, 1876 Gasteracantha pallida C. L. Koch, 1844 Gasteracantha picea C. L. Koch, 1844 Gasteracantha preciosa McCook, 1894 Gasteracantha proboscidea Taczanowski, 1879 Gasteracantha quadridens C. L. Koch, 1844 Gasteracantha raimondii Taczanowski, 1879 Gasteracantha rubiginosa C. L. Koch, 1844 Gasteracantha rufospinosa Marx, 1886 Gasteracantha servillei (Guérin, 1825) Gasteracantha tetracantha (Linnaeus, 1767) Gasteracantha velitaris C. L. Koch, 1837 Micrathena triserrata (Walckenaer, 1841) Plectana atlantica Walckenaer, 1841 Plectana cancriformis (Linnaeus, 1758) Plectana elipsoides Walckenaer, 1841 Plectana lata (Walckenaer, 1805) Plectana quinqueserrata Walckenaer, 1841 Plectana servillei (Guérin, 1825) Plectana sexserrata Walckenaer, 1841 Plectana triserrata Walckenaer, 1841 Plectana velitaris (C. L. Koch, 1837) Vibradellus carolinus Chamberlin, 1925

Gasteracantha cancriformis ^[2] (spinybacked orbweaver) is a species of orb-weaver spider (family Araneidae). It is widely distributed in the New World. ^[1]

The genus name Gasteracantha derives from the Greek words γαστήρ ( gaster, "belly") and ἄκανθα ( acantha, "thorn"), while the specific epithet cancriformis derives from the Latin words cancer (" crab") and forma ("shape, form, appearance").

Description

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Females are 5–9 mm (0.20–0.35 in) long and 10–13 mm (0.39–0.51 in) wide. The six abdominal spine-like projections on the abdomen are characteristic. The carapace, legs, and underside are black with white spots under the abdomen. Variations occur in the colour of the upperside of the abdomen - a white or yellow colour with both featuring black spots. A white upper side can have either red or black spines while a yellow upperside can only have black ones. Like with many other spiders, males are much smaller (2 to 3 mm long) and longer than wide. All morphs have six abdominal spines. ^{[3] [4]} They are similar to the females in colour, but have a gray abdomen with white spots and the spines are reduced to four or five stubby projections.

This species of spider does not live very long. In fact, the lifespan lasts only until reproduction, which usually takes place in the spring following the winter when they hatched. Females die after producing an egg mass, and males die six days after a complete cycle of sperm induction to the female.

Distribution and habitat

G. cancriformis is native to North America, Central America, the Caribbean and South America. ^[1] It has been introduced elsewhere, including Hawaii. It prefers living around the edge of woodland and shrubby gardens. Many studies about G. cancriformis are performed in citrus groves in Florida. ^{[1] [5]}

G. cancriformis is seen to coexist within and on the edges of the colonies of other colonial orb-weaver spiders, mainly Metepeira incrassata. M. incrassata is known to form large colonies ranging from few hundreds to few thousands of spiders, and their colonies often accommodate other species of orb-weavers including G. cancriformis. ^[6]

Taxonomy

G. cancriformis has two subspecies, G. c. cancriformis and G. c. gertschi. ^[7]

Gallery

• 
  Eating a butterfly
• 
  Ventral view, with spinneret visible
• 
  In Miami
• 
  In Miami Lakes
• 
  In Ecuador
• 
  In Novo Hamburgo (southern Brazilian population), with focus on the web
• Mating in the Summer
• 
  On a tufted web in Houston, Texas
• 
  Color variation, near Houston
• 
  Underside of orange specimen, showing spinner and thread. For scale, band in background is 6 mm wide. Near Houston
• 
  In Molokai, Hawaii
• 
  Ventral view, in North Carolina

See also

• Thelacantha brevispina
• Austracantha minax

References

Further reading

• Eberhard, William G. (2006): Stabilimenta of Philoponella vicina (Araneae: Uloboridae) and Gasteracantha cancriformis (Araneae: Araneidae): Evidence Against a Prey Attractant Function. Biotropica 39(2): 216-220. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2006.00254.x

External links

Media related to Gasteracantha cancriformis at Wikimedia Commons