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Arthropoda

Class:

Arachnida

Order:

Araneae

Family:

Araneidae

Genus:

GasteracanthaSpecies:

G. cancriformis

Binomial name

Gasteracantha cancriformis

(Linnaeus , 1758)

Gasteracantha cancriformis (the star spider , spiny-backed

orbweaver , spiny orbweaver spider , crab-like orbweaver

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spider , crab-like spiny orbweaver spider , jewel spider ,

spiny-bellied orbweaver , jewel box spider or smiley face

spider ) is a species of spider .

Females are 59 millimetres (0.200.35 in) long and 10

13 mm (0.390.51 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 upperside can have

either red or black spines while a yellow upperside can only

have black ones. Like in many other spiders, males are

much smaller (2 to 3 mm long) and longer than wide. 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.

It is found across the southern part of the United States

from California to Florida, as well as in Central America ,Jamaica , Cuba , Dominican Republic, Bermuda , Puerto Rico,

South America and certain islands in the Bahamas . It has

also been sighted in the Whitsunday Islands, Australia ,

South Africa and Palawan, Philippines, as well as Kauai in

the Hawaiian Islands and the Antilles.

It lives in woodland edges and shrubby gardens. Many of

the studies on this spider have taken place in citrus groves

in Florida. They frequently live in trees or around trees in

shrubs.

This species of spider does not live very long. In fact, the

lifespan only lasts until reproduction, which usually takesplace 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.

Gasteracantha cancriformis in Miami

The genus name Gasteracantha derives from the Greek

words (gaster , "belly") and (acantha , "thorn")

, while the specific epithet cancriformis derives from the

Latin words cancer (" crab") and forma ("shape, form,

appearance").

Close Up Of Spiny Orb Weaver Spider Eating a Butterfly

Synonyms

Gasteracantha cancriformis mating in the Summer

G. cancriformis has also been described under a number of

taxonomic synonyms:

Aranea cancriformis

Aranea tetracantha

Aranea conchata

Aranea hexacantha

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Epeira lata

Epeira servillei

Acrosoma hexacantha

Gasteracantha hexacantha

Gasteracantha velaris

Plectana cancriformis

Plectana hexacantha

Plectana elipsoides

Plectana quinqueserrata

Plectana sexserrata

Plectana triserrata

Plectana servillei

Plectana lata

Plectana atlantica

Gasteracantha rubiginosa

Gasteracantha picea

Gasteracantha mammosa

Gasteracantha quadridensGasteracantha pallida

Epeira cancer

Gasteracantha moesta

Gasteracantha insulana

Gasteracantha hilaris

Gasteracantha columbiae

Gasteracantha kochii

Dicantha lata

Micrathena triserrata

Gasteracantha oldendorffii

Gasteracantha canestriniiGasteracantha callida

Gasteracantha raimondii

Gasteracantha proboscidea

Gasteracantha rufospinosa

Gasteracantha maura

Gasteracantha elliptica

Gasteracantha preciosa

Gasteracantha biolleyi

Gasteracantha mascula

Gasteracantha comstocki

Vibradellus carolinus

Gasteracantha elipsoides