Gasteracantha

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Gasteracantha
Spiny-backed orb-weaver (Gasteracantha sanguinolenta) female dorsal Principe.jpg
G. sanguinolenta dorsal side
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Araneidae
Genus: Gasteracantha
Sundevall, 1833 [1]
Type species
G. cancriformis
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms [1]
  • BunocraniaThorell, 1878
  • PaurotylusTullgren, 1910

Gasteracantha is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first named by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. [2] Species of the genus are known as spiny-backed orb-weavers, spiny orb-weavers, or spiny spiders. The females of most species are brightly colored with six prominent spines on their broad, hardened, shell-like abdomens. The name Gasteracantha is derived from the Greek gaster (γαστήρ), meaning "belly, abdomen", and akantha (άκανθα), meaning "thorn, spine". [3] Spiny-backed orb-weavers are sometimes colloquially called "crab spiders" because of their shape, but they are not closely related to the true crab spiders. [4] Other colloquial names for certain species include thorn spider, [5] star spider, [6] kite spider, or jewel spider.

Contents

Members of the genus exhibit strong sexual dimorphism. Females are several times larger than males, which lack prominent spines or bright colors. [4] [5] [7] Other genera in the same family are also known as spiny orb-weavers. [8]

Distribution

Gasteracantha species are distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical climates. The genus is most diverse in tropical Asia, from India through Indonesia. [1] One species, G. cancriformis , occurs in the Americas. [4]

Predators and defense mechanisms

Some species of orb-weavers use stridulation as an antipredator defense mechanism. [9] Orb-weavers' bites are generally harmless to humans. [10]

Taxonomy and systematics

Gasteracantha has a complex taxonomic history, and many questions of species limits and distribution and generic interrelationships remain unanswered. Furthermore, challenges include the variability within individual Gasteracantha species (e.g., color polymorphism and variable length and shape of spines), a lack of male specimens and descriptions for many species, missing or damaged type specimens, and ambiguous initial descriptions in 18th- and 19th-century scientific literature. [11] The 69 species currently recognized by World Spider Catalog include dozens of synonyms and subspecies, many based on literature well over 100 years old. [1]

A 2019 study examining three mitochondrial and two nuclear genes found that Gasteracantha is paraphyletic with respect to Macracantha, Actinacantha, and Thelacantha. M. arcuata is allied with G. hasselti and A. globulata , while T. brevispina is closer to G. kuhli and G. diardi . The authors, however, did not propose generic reassignments based on their findings. [11]

Micrathena orb-weavers in North and South America also have hardened abdomens with variously shaped spines, but they are not closely related to Gasteracantha within the orb-weaver family. [8]

Species

As of November 2021, the genus Gasteracantha contains 69 species and 18 subspecies: [1]


Related Research Articles

<i>Argiope</i> (spider) Genus of spiders

The genus Argiope includes rather large spiders that often have a strikingly coloured abdomen. These spiders are distributed throughout the world. Most countries in tropical or temperate climates host one or more species that are similar in appearance. The etymology of Argiope is from a Latin word argentum meaning silver. The carapace of Argiope species is typically covered in silvery hairs, and when crawling in the sun, they reflect it in a way that gives them a metallic, white appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orb-weaver spider</span> Family of spiders

Orb-weaver spiders are members of the spider family Araneidae. They are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields, and forests. The English word "orb" can mean "circular", hence the English name of the group. Araneids have eight similar eyes, hairy or spiny legs, and no stridulating organs.

<i>Myrmarachne</i> Genus of spiders

Myrmarachne is a genus of ant-mimicking jumping spiders that was first described by W. S. MacLeay in 1839. They are commonly called ant-mimicking spiders, but they are not the only spiders that have this attribute. The name is a combination of Ancient Greek μύρμηξ, meaning "ant", and ἀράχνη, meaning "spider".

<i>Neoscona</i> Genus of spiders

Neoscona, known as spotted orb-weavers and barn spiders, is a genus of orb-weaver spiders (Araneidae) first described by Eugène Simon in 1895 to separate these from other araneids in the now obsolete genus Epeira. The name Neoscona was derived from the Greek νέω, meaning "spin", and σχοῖνος, meaning "reed" They have a mostly pantropical distribution and one species, Neoscona adianta, has a palearctic distribution. As of April 2019 there are eight species that can be found in the United States and Canada:

<i>Cyrtophora</i> Genus of spiders

Cyrtophora, the tent-web spiders, is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. Although they are in the "orb weaver" family, they do not build orb webs. Their tent-like, highly complex non-sticky web is sometimes considered a precursor of the simplified orb web. These webs are aligned horizontally, with a network of supporting threads above them. These spiders often live in colonies. Females have a body length of mostly about 10 millimetres (0.39 in) long. Some members, including Cyrtophora cicatrosa, exhibit the ability to change colour rapidly.

<i>Thelacantha</i> Genus of spiders

Thelacantha is a genus of orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, Thelacantha brevispina. It was first described by A. W. M. van Hasselt in 1882, and has been found in Australia, Madagascar, and across southern Asia from India to Philippines, including Japan. It has also been introduced into Hawaii. T. brevispina is closely related those in the genus Gasteracantha, and was briefly synonymized with it in 1859, but revalidated in 1974. Saito described three other Thelacantha species in 1933, which were later synonymized with T. brevispina.

<i>Olios</i> Genus of spiders

Olios is the largest genus of huntsman spiders, containing 166 species. They are found throughout the world, with most species occurring in hot countries. The genus was first described by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1837.

<i>Gasteracantha versicolor</i> Species of spider

Gasteracantha versicolor, known as the long-winged kite spider, is a species of diurnal spiny orb-weaver of the family Araneidae. It is found in the tropics and sub-tropics, where it occurs in forests. It has an extensive range, from central, east and southern Africa to Madagascar.

<i>Cyrtarachne</i> Genus of spiders

Cyrtarachne is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1868.

<i>Gasteracantha remifera</i> Species of spider

Gasteracantha remifera is a species of spiny orb-weaver spider in the genus Gasteracantha. It is found in Sri Lanka and India, and it has a pair of long, club-shaped spines on its abdomen.

<i>Macracantha</i> Genus of Asian orb-weaver spiders

Macracantha is a genus of Asian orb-weaver spiders recognized as containing the species, Macracantha arcuata., although some schemes also recognise inclusion of Gasteracantha hasselti in this genus. Macracantha is notable for the extremely long, curved spines on the abdomens of female members of the genus; Eugène Simon created the taxon name from the Greek words μακρός and ἄκανθα (spine). It occurs from India and China through Southeast Asia to Indonesia.

<i>Gasteracantha kuhli</i> Species of arachnid

Gasteracantha kuhli is a species of spiny orb-weaver spider in the genus Gasteracantha, widespread from India to Japan, the Philippines, and Java in Indonesia. It is known as the black-and-white spiny spider.

<i>Gasteracantha clavigera</i> Species of arachnid

Gasteracantha clavigera is a species of spider in the spiny orb-weaver genus Gasteracantha.

<i>Gasteracantha diardi</i> Species of arachnid

Gasteracantha diardi is a species of spider in the spiny orb-weaver genus Gasteracantha. It occurs in Southeast Asia.

<i>Gasteracantha mengei</i> Species of arachnid

Gasteracantha mengei is a species of spider in the spiny orb-weaver genus Gasteracantha. Its range includes Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo, and Sumatra in Indonesia.

<i>Gasteracantha interrupta</i> Species of spider

Gasteracantha interrupta is a species of spiny orb-weaver spider in the genus Gasteracantha. It is black and white in color, and it occurs in the Lesser Sundas and Sulawesi in Indonesia.

<i>Gasteracantha hecata</i> Species of arachnid

Gasteracantha hecata is a species of spider in the spiny orb-weaver genus Gasteracantha. It occurs in the Philippines and has prominent horn-like spines on its abdomen.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Gen. Gasteracantha Sundevall, 1833". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Sundevall, C. J. (1833). Conspectus Arachnidum. Lund, Sweden. p. 14.
  3. ↑ "Genus Gasteracantha". BugGuide. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
  4. 1 2 3 "Species Gasteracantha cancriformis - Spinybacked Orbweaver". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  5. 1 2 Williams, Steven. "Spiky Spiders". More than a Dodo. Oxford Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  6. ↑ Horwell, David; Oxford, Pete (August 2005). Galápagos Wildlife (2 ed.). Chalfont St Peter, Bucks SL9 9QE, England: Bradt Travel Guides Ltd. p. 26. ISBN   9781841621005.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  7. ↑ Sankaran, Pradeep M.; Jobi, Malamel J.; Sebastian, Pothalil A. (February 2015). "Redescription of the orb-weaving spider Gasteracantha geminata (Fabricius, 1798) (Araneae, Araneidae)". Zootaxa. 3915 (1): 147–150. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3915.1.10 . Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  8. 1 2 Scharff, Nikolaj; Coddington, Jonathan A.; Blackledge, Todd A.; Agnarsson, Ingi; Framenau, Volker W.; Szűts, Tamás; Hayashi, Cheryl Y.; Dimitrov, Dimitar (23 April 2019). "Phylogeny of the orb‐weaving spider family Araneidae (Araneae: Araneoidea)". Cladistics. 36: 1–21. doi:10.1111/cla.12382. hdl: 1956/22200 .
  9. ↑ Corey, T. B., & Hebets, E. A. (2020). Testing the hypothesized antipredator defence function of stridulation in the spiny orb-weaving spider, Micrathena gracilis. Animal Behaviour, 169, 103–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.09.003
  10. ↑ "Urban Spider Chart".
  11. 1 2 Tan, Ji; Chan, Zi Yang; Ong, Ching Ang; Yong, Hoi Sen (14 February 2019). "Phylogenetic relationships of Actinacantha Simon, Gasteracantha Sundevall, Macracantha Hasselt and Thelacantha Simon spiny orb-weavers (Araneae: Araneidae) in Peninsular Malaysia" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 67: 32–55. doi:10.26107/RBZ-2019-0003 . Retrieved 3 August 2019.
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