Spinybacked Orbweaver
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There is no mistaking the Spinybacked Orbweaver for any other spider species.
Gasteracantha cancriformis, as it is formally called, is a small, colorful spider with six small spikes protruding from its abdomen.
The species is found in forest areas throughout the southern areas of the United States, south through much of South and Central America.
G. cancriformis is the only species in the genus native to the United States, although G. mammosa, the Asian Spinybacked Spider, is found in Hawaii.
The top picture shows a white form. The bottom picture shows a yellow form. While they may look a bit scary, their bite is not considered dangerous.
A 1912 text called The Spider Book noted: "A remarkable feature of the webs of this species is the frequent occurrence in them of series of flocculent tufts of silk attached to either the radii or to some of the foundation lines. These tufts are composed of a mass of fine threads, like those of which a stabilimentum is made."
© 2008 Patricia A. Michaels