Pumpkin spiders

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Pumpkin spiders
Pumpkin Spider (Araniella cucurbitina)

Pumpkin Spider ( Araniella cucurbitina )

Systematics
Class : Arachnids (arachnida)
Order : Spiders (Araneae)
Subordination : Real spiders (Araneomorphae)
Superfamily : Orb web spiders (Araneoidea)
Family : Real orb web spiders (Araneidae)
Genre : Pumpkin spiders
Scientific name
Araniella
Chamberlin & Ivie , 1942

The pumpkin spiders ( Araniella ) are a genus from the family of the real orb web spiders (Araneidae). The genus comprises 11 species worldwide (as of 2016), seven of which are also found in Central Europe .

features

The largest species have a maximum body length of about eight millimeters, the females of the European species reach about four to six millimeters, the males are slightly smaller. The carapace of the front body ( prosoma ) is smooth, it is yellowish to brownish in color, the abdomen (opisthosoma) of most species bright green, in some species yellowish, reddish or whitish, usually with a double row of three to four small, dark points, occasionally with red markings ( Araniella displicata ). There is never a cross or leaf drawing on the abdomen. The legs are brownish to yellowish, occasionally the outer (distal) sections of the leg links are darkened. The prosoma is a little longer than it is wide, the eyes relatively small. The chelicerae have three to four teeth on the anterior margin and three teeth on the posterior margin. In the male, the patella of the pedipalp has three (very rarely only two) large bristles (macrosetae). The bulb of the male pedipalps has a long, slender median apophysis, which is usually hook-shaped. The embolus is also long and drawn out into a thin point. The epigyne of the females is covered by a short, broad shield (scapus), which often has a wrinkled surface.

The species are sometimes difficult to determine, the existence of hybrids between some species is suspected. The species Araniella cucurbitina and Araniella opistographa, which are widespread in Europe, are very difficult to distinguish, especially in the female sex.

Way of life

All species build small nets, usually in the foliage of bushes and trees, occasionally horizontally, covering the blade of a single leaf.

distribution

The genus is distributed Holarctic , and individual species such as Araniella displicata and Araniella proxima are found in both Eurasia and North America. Araniella maderiana is endemic to the Canary Islands and Madeira.

species

The species found in Europe are:

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Araniella in the World Spider Catalog , accessed August 2, 2016
  2. ↑ Charles D. Dondale, James H. Speaker: The Orb-weaving spiders of Canada and Alaska. Araneae: Uloboridae, Tetragnathidae, Araneidae, Theridiosomatidae (= The Insects and arachnids of Canada. 23). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, 2003, ISBN 0-660-18898-8 , Araniella on page 191 ff.
  3. ↑ Michael J. Roberts: The Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland. Volume 1: Atypidae to Theridiosomatidae. Brill, Leiden 1985. ISBN 90-04-07658-1 , Genus Araniella on page 216.
  4. ↑ Akio Tanikawa: A Revision of the Japanese Spiders of the Genus Araniella (Araneae: Araneidae). In: Acta Arachnologica. Vol. 44, No. 1, 1995, pp. 51-60, doi : 10.2476 / asjaa.44.51 .
  5. ^ Araniella Chamberlin & Ivie 1942. Fauna Europaea, Version 1.3, April 19, 2007, accessed February 14, 2010 .

Web links

Commons : Pumpkin Spiders ( Araniella )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Araniella in the World Spider Catalog