ID please.

[ilovebugs]

I have some kind of spiny crab spider. It looks to be similar to this, http://bugguide.net/node/view/4777/bgpage

only mine has no red.

I've been around these all my life, but only recently started to wonder what they were.

I have one from near my house living in my room now, there is web all over the ceiling, and from my desk to the bathroom. I gotta find a string or something to mark the web with, it's hard to see.

I haven't seen it being very active since I released it. I guess it will start webbing a more permanant home soon.

oh, I guess it might help if I included a pic...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v58/xthememoriesx/DSC00216.jpg

I don't think he was too happy about his picture being taken.

[Galapoheros]

Google: Gasteracantha elipsoides. These are pretty weird. Wish they were about 3 inches long.

[ilovebugs]

wow, thanks. I googled, but I couldn't find the exact species.

neat.


P.S.

I love this place...

[ilovebugs]

Google: Gasteracantha elipsoides. These are pretty weird. Wish they were about 3 inches long.


I wish they were as big as this picture:
http://www.pbase.com/artichoke/image/4798081

[vulpina]

Not a crab spider at all, it is a type of Micrathena (sp?), builds an orb web.

Andy

[ilovebugs]

Not a crab spider at all, it is a type of Micrathena (sp?), builds an orb web.

Andy

good point, I never thought of it, but I've never seen a crab spider on much of a web, certainly not an orb web.

BINGO:

Spined Micrathena

Micrathena gracilis

http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/Arthropods/Spined%20Micrathena/spinmic2.jpg

http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/spined_micrathena.htm
pretty cool. interesting things, males don't make webs(wonder how they catch prey?) females can make a buzzing sound...

Thanks Andy.

p.s. I found a red/yellow one today very similar to http://troyb.com/photo/images/photos/081-34-Micrathena.jpg

::edit::
now that I look at the two pictures, I see some difference in appearance, I wonder if it's just that mine is fatter, or if it's a slightly different species.

[vulpina]

Yours is a different species, the white one in your second photo is fairly common around here in Ohio, I don't see the one in your first picture too often.

Andy

[ilovebugs]

Yours is a different species, the white one in your second photo is fairly common around here in Ohio, I don't see the one in your first picture too often.

Andy

yea, I think most of the ones I see are of the second variety as well.

I went out yesterday and found a bunch and I picked some up, holding them by the spines, it's pretty cool, they can't reach you.

[hortus]

lol could it be possible that the first photo is a gravid version of the second

could exsplain the rarity

[Peter_Parker]

lol could it be possible that the first photo is a gravid version of the second

could exsplain the rarity

They are completely different species. We have them here, (except gasteracantha, but I keep a few of those), and the female gracilis stay that shape regardless of whether they are gravid or not, they just get bigger.

[hortus]

ahh i didnt know