''Eriophora'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of orb-weaver spiders first described by

Eugène Simon Eugène Louis Simon (; 30 April 1848 – 17 November 1924) was a French naturalist who worked particularly on insects and spiders, but also on birds and plants. He is by far the most prolific spider Taxonomy (biology), taxonomist in history, ...

in 1895. These spiders are found in tropical climates in the

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, and

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

. The name is derived from

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

roots and means "wool bearing".

Description

As is common in orb-weaving spiders, species in the ''Eriophora'' genus feature a third claw used to weave their webs. While most tend to spin a balanced and symmetrical web of small to medium size, ''E. fuliginea'' has been seen to craft a large, asymmetrical web that may be 1.6 - 3m in diameter with an open "hub" in the top third of the web. Females are typically larger than males, and have a very long epigyne scape. Males in the genus generally have an enlarged tibia of the second leg. These spiders feature a variety of colors and patterns, the most notable being the bright green abdomens that are sometimes present in ''E. nephiloides'' and, less frequently, ''E. ravilla''. The abdominal dorsum may may have a pattern of white spots or stripes. More typical, however, is a reddish-brown to gray coloration.

Spiders in Space

''Eriophora transmarina'' (now '' H. transmarina'') was the second species of spider to enter orbit and successfully spin a web in space, and the first to be documented throughout the process. Their opportunity to make history was organized by a team of NASA scientists and students from Glen Waverly Secondary College in Melbourne, Australia. The students and scientists worked together over two and a half years to develop an experiment to observe how (or if) the spidernauts would successfully adapt to and build webs in microgravity—and their careful, dedicated work came to fruition on January 16, 2003, when a team of eight spidernauts entered orbit aboard the

space shuttle Columbia Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' (OV-102) was a Space Shuttle orbiter manufactured by Rockwell International and operated by NASA. Named after the Columbia Rediviva, first American ship to circumnavigate the globe, and the Columbia (personification) ...

on her 28th mission. The spiders were supported by a ground-based control team, with lead spidernaut Cadbury at the helm. The Spiders in Space project considered many species during the planning phase, but settled on ''Eriophora transmarina'' (now '' H. transmarina'') due to their perfectly symmetrical webs. Their consistency on Earth would allow the team to quickly identify any changes the spiders made to their web design while adjusting to microgravity. Unfortunately, Columbia met a tragic end on her return journey when she disintegrated upon reintry into Earth's atmosphere. The spiders, including beloved spidernauts Wako, Jenny, and Slayer, did not survive. While most data was lost in the disaster, low resolution images received during the mission indicated that the spiders adapted quickly to microgravity and were successfully building webs. The lead spider, Wako, was particularly ambitious: she began spinning within four days of her arrival into orbit and completed her web's construction in just over half the time her Earth-bound counterpart, Cadbury, required. The spacefaring spiders who perished in the crash were mourned by all involved in the project.

Species

Most species now grouped here have been classified as ''

Araneus ''Araneus'' is a genus of common orb-weaving spiders. It includes about 650 species, among which are the European garden spider and the barn spider. The genus was erected by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1757. Description Spiders of this genus prese ...

'' at some time in their description history. ''Eriophora'' contains seven species: *''

Eriophora conica ''Eriophora'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. These spiders are found in tropical climates in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The name is derived from Ancient Greek roots and means "wool bearing". Des ...

'' (Yin, Wang & Zhang, 1987) – China *''

Eriophora edax ''Eriophora'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. These spiders are found in tropical climates in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The name is derived from Ancient Greek roots and means "wool bearing". Des ...

'' (Blackwall, 1863) – USA to Brazil *''

Eriophora fuliginea ''Eriophora'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. These spiders are found in tropical climates in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The name is derived from Ancient Greek roots and means "wool bearing". Des ...

'' (C. L. Koch, 1838) – Honduras to Brazil *''

Eriophora nephiloides ''Eriophora nephiloides'' is a species of orb weaver in the spider family Araneidae first described in ''Biologia Centrali-Americana: Arachnida-Aranediea'' by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1889. Its recognized range is from Guatemala to Guyana, G ...

'' (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889) – Guatemala to Guyana *''

Eriophora neufvilleorum ''Eriophora'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. These spiders are found in tropical climates in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The name is derived from Ancient Greek roots and means "wool bearing". Des ...

'' (Lessert, 1930) – Congo, Ethiopia *'' Eriophora ravilla'' (C. L. Koch, 1844) – USA to Brazil *''

Eriophora virgata ''Eriophora'' is a genus of Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. These spiders are found in tropical climates in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The name is derived from Ancient Greek roots and means "wool beari ...

'' (Piza, 1976) – Brazil

Gallery

File:Eriophora nephiloides 256477358.jpg, ''E. nephiloides,'' Ocosingo, Chis., México File:Eriophora ravilla, Everglades National Park, Homestead, Florida.jpg, ''E. ravilla'', Florida File:Eriophora fuliginea 269232764.jpg, ''E. fuliginea'', Kwakoegron, Suriname File:Eriophora edax 256106608.jpg, ''E. edax'', Patacuba, Brasil File:Tropical orb weaver (Eriophora ravilla).jpg, ''E. ravilla,'' Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida File:Orb Spider (Eriophora nephiloides) (36996966425).jpg, ''E. nephiloides'', Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

References

External links

''Eriophora ravilla'', a tropical orb weaver spider
on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site {{Taxonbar, from=Q2290373 Araneidae genera Cosmopolitan spiders Taxa named by Eugène Simon