Spider hatchlings- Orb spiders?
Hello Bugman,
My kids found this pocket of "spiderlings" in my garden between two blades of grass; no mommy in sight. A few days after this photo, I discovered them climbing a web attached to the cherry tree above them. Very cute. I understand that you are swamped but I absolutely love this photo. I think these babies are Orb Weavers judging from what I’ve learned from a similar photo on your most fantastic site. I realize that the species is large and would like to know if they could be identified. I’m in the Laurentians in Quebec, Canada. I’ve been able to identify and understand many bugs through your site. Thanks for what you do,
Shannon

Hi Shannon,
Thanks so much for the compliment. We also love your photo. We concur that they are most probably Orb Weavers, but we do not possess the necessary skills to identify them to the species. Your best clue would be the very visible adult spiders that were in the vicinity the prior autumn.

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Hello
I hope your site is still active. I’m thinking this is a crab spider – not sure. I am located in Kelso, Wa. Can you tell me what it is? Thanks so much,
Betty Van Riper

Hi Betty
This is indeed a Crab Spider, Misumena vatia, also called a Flower Spider. Your specimen shows one of the most distinct color variations.

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Gasteracantha cancriformis
Hi Daniel and Lisa,
Here is a shot taken on our trip to Nevis, West Indies at the end of April this year. I am assuming this is Gasteracantha cancriformis , even though it has two less spines than the images from the US. There were a whole lot of these neat little spiders in their big scraggly-looking webs, spun across the back patio of one of the hotel rooms we stayed in, which was close to the beach. All of the spiders had yellow abdomens. I would not been able to recognize this spider, if not for reading your site, so thanks!
best,
Susan J. Hewitt

Hi Susan,
We are not thoroughly convinced that this Crablike Spiny Orbweaver is Gasteracantha cancriformis, but we are pretty certain the genus is correct. G. cancriformis has quite a bit of individual variation, so perhaps you are correct. The coloration on your specimen is stunning.

Yes, it is kind of different from the US specimens. On Wikipedia someone has attempted to list all the Gasteracantha species worldwide, and that list gives G. cancriformis as the only “New World” species. However it also lists a subspecies, Gasteracantha cancriformis gertschi , as the US taxon, so maybe that is why it looks a bit different? The other possibility is that at least in the case of snails, some of the Caribbean islands have had the opportunity to develop local forms and even endemic species, having been rather isolated for so long. Come to think of it I can e-mail a friend of a friend who is doing a doctorate on spiders at University of the West Indies, and see if she knows.

Update from a Spider Expert: (06/08/2007)
Hi Susan,
It is no bother. That is Gasteracantha cancriformis. Although the ones you saw were yellow they vary in colour so that some are white, red, orange or totally black. This the most common tropical species and is most likely the only species in the Lesser Antilles. With respect to the number of spines there are usually 6 spines but the anterior pair may have broken off or may be minute. Hope this is informative. Regards,
Jo-Anne N. Sewlal,
Dep’t of Life Sciences
University of the West Indies
St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago

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Trapdoor spider
Hi,
I have occasionally come to lurk around your site. Beautiful and informative! Thank you for all your hard work! I LOVE bugs. I always have. I understand that you are very busy but thanks for giving this a read anyway.
Last spring while helping at the local co-op organic farm I discovered a large, tubular tunnel in the dirt (we were preparing the garden bed for planting). Upon further investigation, I found a large spider hiding out in there. A friend took a nice picture of it before I let it go out of harm’s way. I did a little research online and have figured that this is a trapdoor spider. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find any info on them living in this area. I live in Southeastern Long Island (New York). Any thoughts? (maybe global warming???)
Thanks!
Tamar

Hi Tamar,
We occasionally jokingly use global warming as an excuse for range expansion, but the truth of the matter is that in many places there are not complete studies of flora and fauna. BugGuide does not show New York as a place where Trapdoor Spider images have originated, but that isn’t conclusive. At any rate, we agree that this is a Trapdoor Spider.

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