Araneus illaudatus
| Araneus illaudatus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Araneidae |
| Genus: | Araneus |
| Species: | A. illaudatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Araneus illaudatus (Gertsch & Mulaik, 1936) | |
| Synonyms | |
| Aranea illaudata | |
Araneus illaudatus, commonly called the Texas orb-weaver, is a species of spider belonging to the family Araneidae. It has a rather restricted range in western Texas and eastern Arizona.
The female is a very large, hairy orb-weaver, up to 25 mm in length (excluding legs). The overall color is a dirty white, sometimes with a pinkish tinge. A distinctive feature is the presence of two roughly triangular dark patches at the front of the abdomen, each with a small white spot within. The male is very much smaller, only reaching 9 mm in length.
References
- Preston-Mafham, Ken (1998). Spiders: Compact Study Guide and Identifier. Angus Books. ISBN 978-1-904594-93-2.
- Platnick, Norman I. (2009): The world spider catalog, version 9.5. American Museum of Natural History.