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Spider Identification Guide(PDF)
CLICK FOR DOWNLOAD (PDF) ---------------------------------
KINGDOM : Animalia
PHYLUM : Arthropoda
CLASS : Arachnida
ORDER : Araneae
FAMILY : Araneidae
GENUS : Gasteracantha
SPECIES : Gasteracantha Arcuata
--------------------------------- Spiders around the home & yard (PDF) CLICK FOR DOWNLOAD (PDF) |
CURVED SPINY SPIDER
Gasteracantha is a genus of small spiders containing more than 50 species that look nothing like your everyday spider. Some look like they came right from hell, some look like alien-spaceships and some are...simply weird.
Despite their frightening appearance, all species are harmless to humans. Some of them do bite (e.g. Gasteracantha cancriformis) but the bite is barely painful. The spines may puncture human skin and cause some slight pain, but again, nothing major.
Gasteracantha arcuata (also known as the Curved spiny spider) is a species of orb-weaver spider in the Gasteracantha (Spiny orb-weaver) genus. They can grow up to 10mm.
Spiders of the Gasteracantha genus build vertical orb-webs with an open hub which are easily recognised. They have a hard, flat body armed with three pairs of spines on the edge of the abdomen. The spinnerets are elevated on a large projection and surrounded by a sclerotised ring-like structure.
Distribution
G. arcuata is found in Singapore, East Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and India. They may also be found in parts of the southeastern US, possibly due to shipping of imported goods.
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