Araneus illaudatus
Appearance
Araneus illaudatus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Family: | Araneidae |
Genus: | Araneus |
Species: | A. illaudatus
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Binomial name | |
Araneus illaudatus | |
Synonyms | |
Aranea illaudata |
Araneus illaudatus, commonly called the Texas orb-weaver, is a species of spider belonging to the family Araneidae. It has a rather restricted range in western Texas and eastern Arizona.
The female is a very large, hairy orb-weaver, up to 25 mm in length (excluding legs). The overall color is a dirty white, sometimes with a pinkish tinge. A distinctive feature is the presence of two roughly triangular dark patches at the front of the abdomen, each with a small white spot within. The male is very much smaller, only reaching 9 mm in length.
References
- Preston-Mafham, Ken (1998). Spiders: Compact Study Guide and Identifier. Angus Books. ISBN 978-1-904594-93-2.
- Platnick, Norman I. (2009): The world spider catalog, version 9.5. American Museum of Natural History.