Arachnids of North Carolina
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Gea heptagon - an orbweaver

Gea heptagonGea heptagonGea heptagonGea heptagon
Taxonomy
Order: ARANEAEInfraorder: AraneomorphaeFamily: Araneidae                                                                                 
Comments: Apparently English heptagon- "seven-sided shape", from Greek heptagonos. This is probably a noun in apposition, which would mean it doesn't have to agree with the genus name in gender.
Species Comment: Another common name is seven-angled orbweaver. It has also been called the arrowhead spider, but that name is usually reserved for Verrucosa arenata.
Identification
Online Description/Photos: BugGuide Google, iNaturalist, Wikipedia, GBIFTechnical Description: Spiders of North America - Bradley; Spiders of the Carolinas – Gaddy; Bugguide; https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Gea_heptagon%20-%20Seven-sided%20Orb%20Weaver.pdf; https://www.jstor.org/stable/4216349?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/27372577_Color_Change_and_Life_History_Observations_of_the_Spider_Gea_Heptagon_Araneae_Araneidae
Comments: Resembles a miniature garden spider (Argiope), sits head down in center of web holding its legs together in pairs like a cross pattern. Abdomen variable, generally a dark brown or yellowish-brown, sometimes with a dark triangle near abdomen tip, and variable white markings on top of abdomen. Four white spots on the dark underside of the abdomen. Legs show banding. Abdomen shape has a series of humps or points that give it the shape of a seven sided polygon when viewed from above. Male has a small abdomen, orange to yellow legs, abdomen and cephalothorax. The body and legs have sparse hairs and small spines.
Total Length: Very Small, female total body length 4.5-5.8 mm, male total body length 2.6-4.3mm.Adult ID: identifiable by photo of specific features and/or supplementary info
Distribution in North Carolina
Comments: Occasional throughout North Carolina and the eastern United States from March to November. This species may have been introduced to the Americas from the South Pacific. Eggs hatch in spring and the young spiderlings disperse and begin building webs, hunting, and growing. Males do not spin webs. Once mature, the males wander in search of a mate, and the females hang in webs eating and awaiting a mate. Once mated, the female focuses on eating and creating egg cases, which are flattened, about ½ inch long, and resemble bits of dry leaves. The first freezes usually kill all the adult spiders, with only the eggs overwintering.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Gea heptagon
Adult phenology:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: old field, marshes, roadside ditch and agricultural fields.
Observation Methods: Visual observation, sweep netting.
Abundance/Frequency: Occasional
Silk / Web: Small orb web, up to 13cm (five inches), built near the ground. Web does not always contain a stabilimentum. At first contact with prey on the web, the spider shakes the web, pauses, shakes it once more then scurries over to the unfortunate victim should it move. Using silk, the spider swathes and wraps its prey about four times and transports it to the hub after mending the web. At the hub it is wrapped a few more times, then fed upon.
Prey: Small invertebrates, typical foods include leafhoppers, small flies, and small moths. According to a Texas study of cotton, of the orb weavers occurring in cotton, 99% were small-sized spiders (primarily G. heptagon ) that intercept small prey with their delicate (about 4 cm diameter) webs. These orb weavers are predators primarily of small pests such as the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, and the cotton fleahopper, Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter).
Behavior: The spider is diurnal and shy. When the web is disturbed,she will drop quickly to the ground. Such frightened individuals may darken in color (Sabath, 1969). There is sometimes an open sector of the web below the spider which may be used as an escape hatch. Hatched spiderlings spread out and begin functioning and fending for themselves, constructing webs and hunting. The females at maturity are sought out by males. After mating, she increases food consumption and produces eggs.
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
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State Protection:
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 Photo Gallery for Gea heptagon - an orbweaver

38 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-11-03
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-11-03
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp on 2024-08-23
Nash Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp on 2024-08-23
Nash Co.
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Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-08-20
Rockingham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp on 2024-05-31
Johnston Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp on 2024-05-31
Johnston Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp on 2024-05-31
Wayne Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-20
Anson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-20
Anson Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-20
Montgomery Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-01-01
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2021-12-16
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2021-11-18
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: John Petranka on 2021-11-18
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2021-08-30
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2021-04-21
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2021-04-21
Cumberland Co.
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Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2021-04-06
Wayne Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2021-04-06
Wayne Co.
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Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2021-03-24
Currituck Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Hunter Phillips, Morganne Bowers on 2020-09-22
Onslow Co.
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Recorded by: Hunter Phillips, Morganne Bowers on 2020-09-22
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Donald ZEPP on 2020-08-27
Johnston Co.
Comment: Male showing colors on abdomen
Recorded by: Donald ZEPP on 2020-08-27
Johnston Co.
Comment: Male		Recorded by: Donald ZEPP on 2020-08-27
Johnston Co.
Comment: Male: note distinctive palps and eye arrangement
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2020-07-06
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2020-07-06
Mecklenburg Co.
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Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2020-07-06
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Erich Hofmann on 2020-04-24
Craven Co.
Comment: