The Nearctic Spider Database, http://www.canadianarachnology.org/data/spiders/14895

Araneus gemmoides Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935
western plains orbweaver

FAMILY: ARANEIDAE Simon, 1895
    Genus: Araneus Clerck, 1757
        Species: Araneus gemmoides Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935

Author of this page: Shorthouse, David P. (Page complete and awaiting review)

General Comments: The web is large and has about 20 radii (Dondale et al., 2003). Other common names in use are the jewel spider, barn spider, cat or cat-faced spider. Where the two co-occur along the Pacific coast, inland to Southern British Columbia and Montana, Araneus gemmoides Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935 can be confused with Araneus gemma (McCook, 1888) but the latter has a paler dorsal, median line, often along the entire length of the abdomen. Although A. gemmoides Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935 is among the largest spiders in Western Canada and the United States, it is a docile creature. If severely provoked, it may on occasion bite but the effects of the venom are similar to that of a mild wasp sting with associated itchiness and mild swelling lasting no more than a few days.

Common Names

Family Common Name:  orbweavers
Genus Common Name:  angulate & roundshouldered orbweavers
Species Common Name:  western plains orbweaver

Distribution

Global Distribution: USA, Canada
Nearctic States & Provinces:   AB BC MB SK CO MT NM ND UT WY
Collection Locales Mapped by Year Collected: 

Natural History, Phenology & Image(s)

Feeding Guild:‡  orb weavers
‡Feeding guild when noted defined by Uetz, G. W., J. Halaj, and A. B. Cady. 1999. Guild structure of spiders in major crops. Journal of Arachnology 27:270-280.
Recorded Habitats:  Individuals have been collected on barns and other outbuildings, under rock ledges, and lodgepole pine forests. They are also known to frequent well-lit human habitations under eaves, fencerows, and similar nooks, and are especially visible late summer to early autumn.
Life & Natural History:  (not yet recorded or unknown)

Seasonality of Specimen Records:


Image(s) of Habitus:


Credit: Buckle, Don

Details About Males

Description:  Carapace is pale brown. Legs are yellowish brown with indistinct annulations. Abdomen brownish, occasionally with indistinct paired oblique marks toward posterior end, and with distinct anterodorsal humps (Dondale et al., 2003).

Male Dimensions:

A+B = 7.35 mm  A = 3.97 mm  C = 2.93 mm 

Image of External Male Genitalia:  (image not yet available)

Details About Females

Description:  Coloration as in male (Dondale et al., 2003).

Female Dimensions:

A+B = 14.89 mm  A = 6.29 mm  C = 5.21 mm 

Image of Epigynum:  (image not yet available)

Descriptions Source:
Dondale, C. D., J. H. Redner, P. Paquin & H. W. Levi. 2003. The insects and arachnids of Canada. Part 23. The orb-weaving spiders of Canada and Alaska (Araneae: Uloboridae, Tetragnathidae, Araneidae, Theridiosomatidae). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, 371 pp.

Synonyms and Chresonyms†

Araneus gemmoides Chamberlin & Ivie 1935
Araneus canmorus Schenkel 1950
Aranea gemmoides Levi 1951
Araneus gemmoides Levi & Field 1954
Araneus gemmoides Levi 1971
Araneus gemmoides Levi 1975
Araneus gemmoides Dondale et al. 2003

Taxonomic References†

Chamberlin, R. V. & W. Ivie. 1935. Miscellaneous new American spiders. Bull. Univ. Utah. 26(4): 1-79.

Dondale, C. D., J. H. Redner, P. Paquin & H. W. Levi. 2003. The insects and arachnids of Canada. Part 23. The orb-weaving spiders of Canada and Alaska (Araneae: Uloboridae, Tetragnathidae, Araneidae, Theridiosomatidae). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, 371 pp.

Levi, H. W. 1975. Additional notes on the orb-weaver genera Araneus, Hypsosinga and Singa north of Mexico (Araneae, Araneidae). Psyche, Camb. 82: 265-274.

Levi, H. W. 1971. The diadematus group of the orb-weaver genus Araneus north of Mexico (Araneae: Araneidae). Bull. Mus. comp. Zool. Harv. 141: 131-179.

Levi, H. W. 1951. New and rare spiders from Wisconsin and adjacent states. Am. Mus. Novit. 1501: 1-41.

Levi, H. W. & H. M. Field. 1954. The spiders of Wisconsin. Am. Midl. Nat. 51: 440-467.

Schenkel, E. 1950. Spinnentiere aus dem westlichen Nordamerika, gesammelt von Dr. Hans Schenkel-Rudin. Verh. naturf. Ges. Basel 61: 28-92.

†Nomenclature and taxonomic references from the World Spider Catalog accessible at http://research.amnh.org/entomology/spiders/catalog/ARANEIDAE.html

Natural History References

Dondale, C. D., J. H. Redner, P. Paquin & H. W. Levi. 2003. The insects and arachnids of Canada. Part 23. The orb-weaving spiders of Canada and Alaska (Araneae: Uloboridae, Tetragnathidae, Araneidae, Theridiosomatidae). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, 371 pp.

Other Nearctic Members of Genus Araneus Clerck, 1757‡‡

A. abigeatus Levi, 1975 ...............USA
A. alboventris (Emerton, 1884) ...............USA
A. allani Levi, 1973 ...............USA
A. alsine (Walckenaer, 1802) ...............Palearctic
A. andrewsi (Archer, 1951) ...............USA
A. angulatus Clerck, 1757 ...............Palearctic
A. apache Levi, 1975 ...............USA
A. arizonensis (Banks, 1900) ...............USA, Mexico
A. bicentenarius (McCook, 1888) ...............USA, Canada
A. bispinosus (Keyserling, 1885) ...............USA
A. bivittatus (Walckenaer, 1842) ...............USA
A. bonsallae (McCook, 1894) ...............USA
A. calusa Levi, 1973 ...............USA
A. carroll Levi, 1973 ...............USA
A. cavaticus (Keyserling, 1882) ...............USA, Canada
A. cingulatus (Walckenaer, 1842) ...............USA
A. circe (Audouin, 1826) ...............Palearctic
A. cochise Levi, 1973 ...............USA
A. corticarius (Emerton, 1884) ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
A. detrimentosus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1889) ...............USA to Colombia
A. diadematus Clerck, 1757 ...............Holarctic
A. diadematus islandicus (Strand, 1906) ...............Iceland
A. emmae Simon, 1900 ...............Hawaii
A. gadus Levi, 1973 ...............USA
A. gemma (McCook, 1888) ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
A. groenlandicola (Strand, 1906) ...............USA, Canada, Greenland
A. guerrerensis Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936 ...............USA, Mexico
A. guttulatus (Walckenaer, 1842) ...............USA
A. illaudatus (Gertsch & Mulaik, 1936) ...............USA
A. iviei (Archer, 1951) ...............USA, Canada
A. juniperi (Emerton, 1884) ...............USA, Canada
A. kapiolaniae Simon, 1900 ...............Hawaii
A. kerr Levi, 1981 ...............USA
A. mammatus (Archer, 1951) ...............USA
A. mariposa Levi, 1973 ...............USA
A. marmoreus Clerck, 1757 ...............Holarctic
A. miami Levi, 1973 ...............USA
A. miniatus (Walckenaer, 1842) ...............USA
A. monica Levi, 1973 ...............USA
A. montereyensis (Archer, 1951) ...............North America
A. nashoba Levi, 1973 ...............USA
A. niveus (Hentz, 1847) ...............USA
A. nordmanni (Thorell, 1870) ...............Holarctic
A. partitus (Walckenaer, 1842) ...............USA
A. pegnia (Walckenaer, 1842) ...............USA to Ecuador and Jamaica
A. phrygiatus (Walckenaer, 1842) ...............USA
A. pratensis (Emerton, 1884) ...............USA, Canada
A. prunus Levi, 1973 ...............USA
A. quadratus Clerck, 1757 ...............Palearctic
A. raui Levi, 1973 ...............USA
A. saevus (L. Koch, 1872) ...............Holarctic
A. santarita (Archer, 1951) ...............USA
A. sturmi (Hahn, 1831) ...............Palearctic
A. texanus (Archer, 1951) ...............USA
A. thaddeus (Hentz, 1847) ...............North America
A. trifolium (Hentz, 1847) ...............USA, Canada, Alaska
A. triguttatus (Fabricius, 1793) ...............Palearctic
A. tuscarora Levi, 1973 ...............USA
A. washingtoni Levi, 1971 ...............Russia, USA, Canada
A. yukon Levi, 1971 ...............Russia, Canada

‡‡May also include species with Palearctic distribution

Page Reference:

Shorthouse, David P. submitted. Taxonomic and natural history description of FAM: ARANEIDAE, Araneus gemmoides Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935. In: The Nearctic Spider Database. David P. Shorthouse (editor). World Wide Web electronic publication. Direct link: http://www.canadianarachnology.org/data/spiders/14895 (Accessed: 10/7/2008 1:30:32 PM).

Author Email Address: dshorthouse@eol.org
Text Last Modified: 2006-09-01T18:00:38Z