''Gasteracantha'' is a genus of
orb-weaver spiders first named by
Carl Jakob Sundevall
Carl Jakob Sundevall (22 October 1801 in Högestad – 2 February 1875) was a Sweden, Swedish zoologist.
Sundevall studied at Lund University, where he received a Ph.D. in 1823. After traveling to East Asia, he studied medicine, graduating as a ...
in 1833.
Species of the genus are known as spiny-backed orb-weavers, spiny orb-weavers, or spiny spiders. The females of most species are brightly colored with six prominent spines on their broad, hardened, shell-like abdomens. The name ''Gasteracantha'' is derived from the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
(), meaning "belly, abdomen", and (), meaning "thorn, spine".
Spiny-backed orb-weavers are sometimes colloquially called "crab spiders" because of their shape, but they are not closely related to the true
crab spiders
The Thomisidae are a family of spiders, including about 170 genera and over 2,100 species. The common name crab spider is often linked to species in this family, but is also applied loosely to many other families of spiders. Many members of thi ...
.
Other colloquial names for certain species include thorn spider,
star spider,
kite spider Kite spider refers to one of the following genera:
* ''Gasteracantha
''Gasteracantha'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first named by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. Species of the genus are known as spiny-backed orb-weavers, spiny orb-weavers, ...
, or
jewel spider.
Members of the genus exhibit strong
sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...
. Females are several times larger than males, which lack prominent spines or bright colors.
Other genera in the same family are also known as spiny orb-weavers.
Distribution
''Gasteracantha'' species are distributed worldwide in
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...
and
subtropical
The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...
climates. The genus is most diverse in tropical Asia, from India through Indonesia.
One species, ''
G. cancriformis'', occurs 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 ...
.
Predators and defense mechanisms
Some species of orb-weavers use
stridulation
Stridulation is the act of producing sound by rubbing together certain body parts. This behavior is mostly associated with insects, but other animals are known to do this as well, such as a number of species of fish, snakes and spiders. The mech ...
as an antipredator defense mechanism. Orb-weavers' bites are generally harmless to humans.
Taxonomy and systematics
''Gasteracantha'' has a complex taxonomic history, and many questions of species limits and distribution and generic interrelationships remain unanswered. Furthermore, challenges include the variability within individual ''Gasteracantha'' species (e.g., color
polymorphism and variable length and shape of spines), a lack of male specimens and descriptions for many species, missing or damaged type specimens, and ambiguous initial descriptions in 18th- and 19th-century scientific literature.
The 69 species currently recognized by
World Spider Catalog
The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature.
The WSC began as a series of ...
include dozens of
synonyms
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...
and
subspecies
In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
, many based on literature well over 100 years old.
A 2019 study examining three
mitochondrial
A mitochondrion () is an organelle found in the cells of most eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi. Mitochondria have a double membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used ...
and two
nuclear
Nuclear may refer to:
Physics
Relating to the nucleus of the atom:
*Nuclear engineering
*Nuclear physics
*Nuclear power
*Nuclear reactor
*Nuclear weapon
*Nuclear medicine
*Radiation therapy
*Nuclear warfare
Mathematics
* Nuclear space
*Nuclear ...
genes found that ''Gasteracantha'' is
paraphyletic
Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...
with respect to ''Macracantha'', ''Actinacantha'', and ''Thelacantha''. ''
M. arcuata'' is allied with ''
G. hasselti'' and ''
A. globulata'', while ''
T. brevispina'' is closer to ''
G. kuhli'' and ''
G. diardi''. The authors, however, did not propose generic reassignments based on their findings.
''
Micrathena
''Micrathena'', known as spiny orbweavers, is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. ''Micrathena'' contains more than a hundred species, most of them Neotropical woodland-dwelling species. The name is der ...
'' orb-weavers in North and South America also have hardened abdomens with variously shaped spines, but they are not closely related to ''Gasteracantha'' within the orb-weaver family.
Species
, the genus ''Gasteracantha'' contains 69 species and 18 subspecies:
*''
G. aciculata''
( Pocock, 1899) – Papua New Guinea (New Britain)
*''
G. acutispina''
Dahl, 1914 – Indonesia (Sulawesi)
*''
G. audouini''
Guérin, 1838 – Indonesia (Sumatra, Timor, Ambon), Philippines
*''
G. aureola''
Mi & Peng, 2013 – China
*''
G. beccarii''
Thorell, 1877 – Indonesia (Sulawesi)
*''
G. biloba''
(Thorell, 1878) – Indonesia (Moluccas, Ambon)
*''
G. cancriformis''
(Linnaeus, 1758) – North America, Central America, Caribbean, South America. Introduced to Hawaii
**''
Gasteracantha c. gertschi''
Archer
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In modern ...
, 1941 – USA
*''
G. clarki''
Emerit, 1974 – Seychelles
*''
G. clavatrix''
( Walckenaer, 1841) – Indonesia (Lombok, Sulawesi, Mentawai Is.)
*''
G. clavigera''
Giebel, 1863 – Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia (Sulawesi)
*''
G. crucigera''
Bradley, 1877 – Malaysia, Indonesia (Java, Borneo), New Guinea
*''
G. curvispina''
(Guérin, 1837) – West, Central Africa
*''
G. curvistyla''
Dahl, 1914 – Indonesia (Togian Is.)
*''
G. cuspidata''
C. L. Koch, 1837 – Malaysia, India (Nicobar Is.), Indonesia (Java)
*''
G. dalyi''
Pocock, 1900 – India, Pakistan
*''
G. diadesmia''
Thorell, 1887 – India to Philippines
*''
G. diardi''
(Lucas, 1835) – China, Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia (Sunda Is.)
*''
G. doriae''
Simon, 1877 – Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo)
*''
G. falcicornis''
Butler
A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...
, 1873 – Africa
*''
G. fasciata''
Guérin, 1838 – New Guinea, Guam
*''
G. flava''
Nicolet, 1849 – Chile
*''
G. fornicata''
(Fabricius Fabricius (, ) is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*people from the Ancient Roman Fabricia gens, gens Fabricia:
**Gaius Fabricius Luscinus, the first of the Fabricii to move to Rome
* Johann Goldsmid (1587–1616), known by his ...
, 1775) – Australia (Queensland)
*''
G. frontata''
Blackwall, 1864 – India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia (Flores, Borneo)
*''
G. gambeyi''
Simon, 1877 – New Caledonia
*''
G. geminata''
(Fabricius, 1798) – India, Sri Lanka
*''
G. hecata''
(Walckenaer, 1841) – Philippines
*''
G. interrupta''
Dahl, 1914 – Indonesia (Lombok, Sulawesi)
*''
G. irradiata''
(Walckenaer, 1841) – Thailand to Philippines, Indonesia (Sulawesi)
*''
G. janopol''
Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines
*''
G. kuhli''
C. L. Koch, 1837 – India to Japan, Philippines, Indonesia
*''
G. lepelletieri''
(Guérin, 1825) – Indonesia (Sumatra) to Philippines, New Guinea
*''
G. lunata''
Guérin, 1838 – Timor, Indonesia (Moluccas), New Caledonia
*''
G. martensi''
Dahl, 1914 – Indonesia (Sumatra)
*''
G. mediofusca''
( Doleschall, 1859) – Indonesia (Java), New Guinea
*''
G. mengei''
Keyserling, 1864 – Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo)
*''
G. metallica''
(Pocock, 1898) – Solomon Is.
*''
G. milvoides''
Butler, 1873 – Central, East, Southern Africa
*''
G. notata''
Kulczyński, 1910 – Papua New Guinea (New Britain)
*''
G. panisicca''
Butler, 1873 – Myanmar to Philippines, Indonesia (Java)
*''
G. parangdiadesmia''
Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines
*''
G. pentagona''
(Walckenaer, 1841) – Papua New Guinea (New Ireland, New Britain, Bismarck Arch.)
*''
G. picta''
(Thorell, 1892) – Singapore
*''
G. quadrispinosa''
O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1879 – New Guinea, Australia (Queensland)
*''
G. recurva''
Simon, 1877 – Philippines
*''
G. regalis''
Butler, 1873 – Vanuatu
*''
G. remifera''
Butler, 1873 – India, Sri Lanka
*''
G. rhomboidea''
Guérin, 1838 – Mauritius
**''
Gasteracantha r. comorensis''
Strand, 1916 – Comoros, Mayotte
**''
Gasteracantha r. madagascariensis''
Vinson, 1863 – Madagascar
*''
G. rubrospinis''
Guérin, 1838 – Indonesia (Lombok, Sulawesi, Moluccas), New Caledonia, Guam
*''
G. rufithorax''
Simon, 1881 – Madagascar
*''
G. sacerdotalis''
L. Koch, 1872 – New Guinea, Australia (Queensland), New Caledonia
*''
G. sanguinea''
Dahl, 1914 – Philippines
*''
G. sanguinolenta''
C. L. Koch, 1844 – Africa, Yemen (mainland, Socotra), Seychelles
**''
Gasteracantha s. andrefanae''
Emerit, 1974 – Madagascar
**''
Gasteracantha s. bigoti''
Emerit, 1974 – Madagascar
**''
Gasteracantha s. emeriti''
Roberts, 1983 – Seychelles (Aldabra)
**''
Gasteracantha s. insulicola''
Emerit, 1974 – Seychelles
**''
Gasteracantha s. legendrei''
Emerit, 1974 – Europa Is.
**''
Gasteracantha s. mangrovae''
Emerit, 1974 – Madagascar
*''
G. sapperi''
Dahl, 1914 – New Guinea
*''
G. sauteri''
Dahl, 1914 – China, Taiwan, Vietnam
*''
G. scintillans''
Butler, 1873 – Solomon Is.
*''
G. signifera''
Pocock, 1898 – Solomon Is.
**''
Gasteracantha s. bistrigella''
Strand, 1911 – Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Arch.)
**''
Gasteracantha s. heterospina''
Strand, 1915 – Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Arch.)
**''
Gasteracantha s. pustulinota''
Strand, 1911 – Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Arch.)
*''
G. simoni''
O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1879 – Central Africa
*''
G. sororna''
Butler, 1873 – India
*''
G. sturi''
(Doleschall, 1857) – Laos, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Moluccas
*''
G. subaequispina''
Dahl, 1914 – Borneo, New Guinea
*''
G. taeniata''
(Walckenaer, 1841) – India to Polynesia
**''
Gasteracantha t. analispina''
Strand, 1911 – New Guinea
**''
Gasteracantha t. anirensis''
Strand, 1911 – Papua New Guinea (New Ireland)
**''
Gasteracantha t. lugubris''
Simon, 1898 – Solomon Is.
**''
Gasteracantha t. novahannoveriana''
Dahl, 1914 – Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Arch.)
*''
G. theisi''
Guérin, 1838 – Indonesia, New Guinea
*''
G. thomasinsulae''
Archer, 1951 – São Tomé and Príncipe
*''
G. thorelli''
Keyserling, 1864 – Madagascar
*''
G. tondanae''
Pocock, 1897 – Indonesia (Sulawesi)
*''
G. transversa''
C. L. Koch, 1837 – Indonesia (Sumatra, Java)
*''
G. unguifera''
Simon, 1889 – China, India
*''
G. versicolor''
(Walckenaer, 1841) – Central, East, Southern Africa
**''
Gasteracantha v. avaratrae''
Emerit, 1974 – Madagascar
**''
Gasteracantha v. formosa''
Vinson, 1863 – Madagascar
*''
G. westringi''
Keyserling, 1864 – Australia, Admiralty Is., New Caledonia
Gallery
Spiny_backed_orbweaver_spider.jpg, '' G. cancriformis''
Hasselt's spiny spider, gasteracantha hasselti - Kaeng Krachan National Park.jpg, '' G. hasselti''
Krachan National Park, Thailand
Gasteracantha - Spiny orb-weavers.jpg , '' G. geminata''
Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Bangalore, India
20111029 DSC 0030 (10191378843).jpg , '' G. dalyi''
Karnataka, India
Gasteracantha quadrispinosa by Danny S.-1.JPG , '' G. quadrispinosa''
Queensland, Australia
Spider with fangs - Mecufi district of Mozambique, close to the sea coast.jpg , '' G. falcicornis''
Mecúfi District, Mozambique
References
External links
Video of a spiny orbweaver's heart beating
{{Authority control
Araneidae
Araneomorphae genera
Cosmopolitan spiders
Taxa named by Carl Jakob Sundevall