Unknown spiked spider, Black, Yellow and Red, Guyana, South America
September 12, 2009
I found this spider in Guyana, South America. Taken August 21, 2009, during the start of the dry season. It was in Surama Village, located in the North Rupununi Savannah. It’s location is 4 degrees north latitude and 59 degrees west longitude. This village is where the rainforest meets the savannah. The spider was in the rainforest, not savannah. This picture is somewhat overexposed from sunlight, but the spiders back end is bright yellow (looks kind of white in the picture), with a little bit of red and black. The yellow continues to it’s upper body. I estimate that it measures about 1 to 1.5 inches from head to end.
Bryan Chautems
North Rupununi, Guyana, South America
South American Micrathena
Hi Brian,
Perhaps one of our readers will be able to supply you with an exact species. We are relatively certain your spider is an Orbweaver in the genus Micrathena. There is a North American species, Micrathena sagittata, that looks quite similar and is known as the Arrowshaped Micrathena. That species is represented on BugGuide. Your individual may be closely related or even be a subspecies.
Update
South American Micrathena: Arrowshaped Orbweaver – Unknown spiked spider, Black, Yellow and Red, Guyana, South America
September 12, 2009
Hi Daniel:
I think it pretty much has to be Micrathena, as you suggest. It does look very similar to M. sagittata and that species does occur as for south as Guyana, but I don’t think that’s it. It looks more like another wide ranging species, M. schreibersi. As is so often the case, this species is variable and the red highlights are not always present, but most of the other prominent features seem to match as well. If I may hedge a little, however, this is a very abundant genus with over 100 species, almost all of them neotropical, so there may be other candidates as well. Regards.
Karl
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