- Araneus alsine
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Orange Wheelweaving Spider
Strawberry Spider
A. alsine in rolled leaf Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Araneae Suborder: Araneomorphae Family: Araneidae Genus: Araneus Species: A. alsine Binomial name Araneus alsine
(Walckenaer, 1802)The Strawberry Spider or Orange Wheelweaving Spider (Araneus alsine) is a species of the orb-weaving spider (Araneidae) family.
Description
Araneus alsine, dorsal view
As one of its common names suggests, A. alsine may appear somewhat like a strawberry—with a large, round, reddish, dotted abdomen.
Females can reach sizes of up to 15 mm, with the color of the almost globular opisthosoma ranging from beige to orange. Many yellowish dots spread over the surface.
Habits
A. alsine builds small webs near the ground and waits near them in leaves that it has rolled together. The species can be found on moist forest clearings and meadows.
Mating occurs in June and July, eggs are laid until August. The spiderlings soon hatch, overwinter in a subadult stadium and are full-grown in early summer next year.
External links
- Norman I. Platnick, 2006. The World Spider Catalog, Version 7.0. American Museum of Natural History.
- BBC article on "one of the UK's rarest species of spider"
- UK Forestry Commission report of a rare sighting
- http://www.ecrr.org.uk/bushtel/bt_03win.pdf
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