Plebs eburnus

Last updated

Plebs eburnus
Female Plebs eburnus.jpeg
Female on web.
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Araneidae
Genus: Plebs
Species:
P. eburnus
Binomial name
Plebs eburnus
Synonyms [1] [3]
  • Epeira eburnaKeyserling, 1886
  • Epeira rubripunctataRainbow, 1893
  • Epeira sinuosusRainbow, 1893
  • Araneus eburnus(Keyserling, 1886)
  • Araneus eburneus(Keyserling, 1886) (misspelling)
  • Aranea eburnea(Keyserling, 1886) (misspelling)
  • Aranea rubripunctata(Rainbow, 1893)
  • Aranea sinuosa(Rainbow, 1893)
  • Araneus rubripunctatusRainbow, 1893

The spider species Plebs eburnus is commonly referred to as the eastern grass orb-weaver or the eastern bush orb-weaver, and sometimes more simply as the bush orb-weaver. It is an orb-weaver spider from the family Araneidae endemic to Australia. It is a very common spider with distinctive white markings (although these marking can be quite variable), which give it the species name eburnus pertaining to ivory. It is found in scrub and tall grasses where the female constructs a vertical web usually no more than 2 metres from the ground, and stays there day and night. The web of some of these spiders has been seen to be decorated with nearly vertical stabilimentum (like a clockface at 5 minutes to 5 or its mirror image). [4] The stabilimentum of the related P.cyphoxis is usually observed vertical (like a clockface at 6 o'clock). [5]

Contents

Description

On the underside of the abdomen, along with other members of the genus Plebs , there is a characteristic U-shaped white marking with two white spots either side of the spinnerets. [3] The females, as with most spiders, are larger than the males and are around 8mm in length, compared to just 5mm in length for the males.

Taxonomy

The species was first described by Eugen von Keyserling in 1886 as Epeira eburna. It was transferred to the genus Araneus and then in 2012 into a newly described genus Plebs . [1] [3] It is closely related to the western bush orb-weaver, P. cyphoxis . [3]

Distribution

Approximate range of P. eburnus created from field record locations in Joseph & Framenau 2012. Distribution Plebs eburnus.jpeg
Approximate range of P. eburnus created from field record locations in Joseph & Framenau 2012.

P. eburnus can be found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia. Some rare occurrences have been observed in Western Australia although this is not part of the typical range of this species. [6] The ranges of this species and P. cyphoxis overlap in South Australia. [3]

Related Research Articles

Orb-weaver spider 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 forest. "Orb" can in English mean "circular", hence the English name of the group. Araneids have eight similar eyes, hairy or spiny legs, and no stridulating organs.

<i>Araneus diadematus</i> Species of spider

The spider species Araneus diadematus is commonly called the European garden spider, diadem spider, orangie, cross spider and crowned orb weaver. It is sometimes called the pumpkin spider, although this name is also used for a different species, Araneus marmoreus. It is an orb-weaver spider found in Europe and North America.

<i>Austracantha</i> Genus of spiders

Austracantha is a genus of spider with a single species, Austracantha minax, commonly known as the jewel spider or the Christmas spider. It is a member of the family Araneidae and is endemic to Australia. They are relatively small spiders, reaching a maximum total body length of only around 12 mm (0.47 in) for females, and 5 mm (0.20 in) for males. Their abdomen has six distinctive projections ("spines") that makes them easy to identify. They are predominantly a shiny black, with variable white, yellow, and orange patterns. Melanistic forms also occur during autumn. They are facultatively gregarious, and can be found in large aggregations of overlapping orb webs. They feed on small flying insects that get entangled in their webs. They are harmless to humans, though the webs can be a nuisance for bushwalkers. They are most abundant during the summer months.

<i>Eriophora</i> Genus of spiders

Eriophora is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. It occurs in the Americas, Australasia, and Africa. The name is derived from Ancient Greek roots, and means "wool bearing".

<i>Argiope keyserlingi</i> St Andrews cross spider

Argiope keyserlingi is a species of orb-web spider found on the east coast of Australia, from central New South Wales to northern Queensland. It is very similar in appearance to a closely related North-Queensland species, Argiope aetherea. A. keyserlingi is commonly found in large populations in suburban parks and gardens, particularly among the leaves of the Lomandra longifolia. Like many species of orb-web spider, A. keyserlingi shows considerable sexual size dimorphism, as the females are many times larger than the males. Mature females can be seen during the summer months and it is not uncommon to see multiple males on the web of one female.

<i>Argiope mascordi</i> Species of spider

Argiope mascordi is a species of orb-web spider found in Queensland, Australia. The females of this species are smaller and less colourful than many other spiders in the genus Argiope. Males are larger than many other Argiope. Web decorations in this species are interesting in that A. mascordi juveniles construct a cross and adults construct a disc. The reason for this apparent reversal in decorating behaviour remains unknown.

<i>Ordgarius</i> Genus of spiders

Ordgarius is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugen von Keyserling in 1886. Adult females of the genus are bolas spiders, capturing their prey with one or more sticky drops at the end of a single line of silk rather than in a web. Males and juvenile females capture their prey directly with their legs.

<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 σχοῐνος, 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:

Bertrana is a genus of Central and South American orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugen von Keyserling in 1884. It includes some of the smallest known araneid orb-weavers. Bertrana striolata females are 4.5 mm long or less. The eight eyes are in two rows. The abdomen is white on top and on the sides, with multiple hieroglyphic-like lines and bars of many different shapes and length. In females, these are red, in males, black.

<i>Araneus marmoreus</i> Species of spider

Araneus marmoreus, commonly called the marbled orb-weaver, is a species of spider belonging to the family Araneidae. It is sometimes also called the pumpkin spider from the resemblance of the female's inflated abdomen to an orange pumpkin. It has a Holarctic distribution.

<i>Plebs bradleyi</i> Species of spider

Plebs bradleyi, synonym Araneus bradleyi, is a spider in the orb-weaver family Araneidae. Known as the enamelled spider, it is a common Australian spider. It occurs in Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

<i>Argiope catenulata</i> Species of spider

Argiope catenulata, also known as the grass cross spider, is a species of orb-weaver spiders ranging from India to the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, and also found in Australia in 2019. Like other species of the same genus, it builds a web with a zig-zag stabilimentum.

<i>Neoscona domiciliorum</i> Species of spider

Neoscona domiciliorum, commonly known as the spotted orbweaver or redfemured spotted orbweaver, is a spider in the family Araneidae. The specific epithet domiciliorum means "of dwellings" in Latin and refers to the fact that this species is often found living on buildings. Their bites are not known to cause serious harm in humans.

<i>Araneus mitificus</i> Species of spider

Araneus mitificus, commonly known as the kidney garden spider or pale orb weaver, is a species of orb-weaver spider found in South, East, and Southeast Asia.

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

Plebs is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by M. M. Joseph & V. W. Framenau in 2012. Though many of its species have been moved around, a 2012 taxonomic revision suggested that these spiders comprise a monophyletic genus of closely related spiders that evolved in Australia and, through subsequent movements, spread into parts of Asia and Pacific islands.

Carepalxis is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1872. These spiders only build webs at night and break them down in the morning. C. coronata builds orb webs up to 60 centimetres (24 in) in diameter with closely woven spiral threads.

Heurodes was a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugen von Keyserling in 1886. It previously contained three species, Heurodes fratrellus and Heurodes turritus, both now considered nomen dubium, and Heurodes porcula, now considered a synonym of Eriovixia porcula(Simon, 1877)

<i>Dolophones conifera</i> Species of spider

Dolophones conifera, known as the wrap-around spider, is a species of spider in the family Araneidae indigenous to Australia. It is named for its ability to flatten and wrap its body around tree limbs as camouflage. It is found in Western Australia along with several other species from the genus Dolophones, and was first described in 1886.

<i>Micrathena lucasi</i> Species of spider

Micrathena lucasi is a spider in the orb-weaver spider family, Araneidae. The species belongs to genus Micrathena and was first named in 1864 by Eugen von Keyserling.

Ordgarius monstrosus is a species of spider in the orb-weaver spider family Araneidae, found in Queensland, Australia. O. monstrosus is a bolas spider. Rather than using a web, adult females catch their prey by using a line with one or two sticky drops which they swing.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Taxon details Plebs eburnus (Keyserling, 1886)". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  2. Keyserling, Eugen von (1886). "Die Arachnidens Australiens". Nürnburg. 2: 87–152.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Joseph, Mathew M.; Framenau, Volker W. (2012). "Systematic review of a new orb-weaving spider genus (Araneae: Araneidae), with special reference to the Australasian-Pacific and South-East Asian fauna". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 166: 279–341. doi: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00845.x .
  4. "Plebs eburnus". Arachne.org.au. Retrieved 2015-04-07.
  5. "Plebs cyphoxis". Arachne.org.au. Retrieved 2015-04-07.
  6. "Araneus eburnus". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 2015-04-07.