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.

Araneus illaudatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
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 pima

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

edit
  • 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.