A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Gasteracantha cancriformis
Females are 5–9 mm long and 10–13 mm wide. The six abdominal spine-like projections on the abdomen are characteristic. The carapace, legs and underside are black with white spots under the abdomen. Variations occur in the colour of the upperside of the abdomen with black spots on white to yellow ground colour and red spines or yellow instead of white. Spines are sometimes black. Like in many other spiders, males are much smaller (2 to 3 mm long) and longer than wide. They are similar to the females in colour but have a gray abdomen with white spots and the spines are reduced to four or five stubby projections. It lives in woodland edges and shrubby gardens. They frequently live in trees or around trees in shrubs. This species of spider does not live very long. In fact, the lifespan only lasts until reproduction, which usually takes place the spring following the winter when they hatched. Females die after producing an egg mass, and males die six days after a complete cycle of sperm induction to the female.
Green Cay, FL
Spotted in the eaves of the visitor center.
14 Comments
!!!!!
Thanks for all your kind comments guys!
I found a few more of these at a different location yesterday http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/113...
wooooo i love this specimen !!!!! congratulation it's a nice picture and interesting spiders :D
Oh, she's lovely! Great pics!
Vibrant sharp pictures. Wonderful spotting!
nice shots!
Holy Cow Karen! You are really getting some amazing spots down there in FL!!!! Grats on this little guy! He's amazing!
Thank you Nicholas & harsuame!
Que hermosa felicidades
Such detail! wow!
Thanks Yasser!
Another one that was on my "wish list"!
Thanks Carol! I went to Florida to photograph the birds but of course the first critter I snapped had to be a spider!
Woohoo! What a beauty!!!
U did it Karen! You found one. Congratulations! Awesome! I love these!