Arachnids of North Carolina
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Common Spiders of NC
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Comments
Order:
Araneae - Spiders
Opiliones - Harvestmen
Pseudoscorpiones - Pseudoscorpions
Scorpiones - Scorpions
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACROPSOPILIONIDAE-
AGELENIDAE-Funnel Weavers
AMAUROBIIDAE-Hacklemesh Weavers
ANTRODIAETIDAE-Folding Trapdoor Spiders
ANYPHAENIDAE-Ghost Spiders
ARANEIDAE-Orb Weavers
ATYPIDAE-Purseweb Spiders
BUTHIDAE-
CADDIDAE-
CHEIRACANTHIIDAE-
CHEIRIDIIDAE-
CHELIFERIDAE-
CHERNETIDAE-
CHTHONIIDAE-
CICURINIDAE-
CLUBIONIDAE-Sac Spiders
CORINNIDAE-Antmimics and Ground Sac Spiders
COSMETIDAE-Armoured harvestmen
CTENIDAE-Wandering Spiders
CYBAEIDAE-
DEINOPIDAE-Ogrefaced spider
DESIDAE-
DICTYNIDAE-Mesh Web Weavers
DYSDERIDAE-
EUCTENIZIDAE-Wafer-lid Trapdoor Spiders
FILISTATIDAE-
GARYPINIDAE-
GNAPHOSIDAE-Ground Spiders
HAHNIIDAE-
HALONOPROCTIDAE-
HYPOCHILIDAE-
LARCIDAE-
LEPTONETIDAE-
LINYPHIIDAE-Sheetweb and Dwarf Spiders
LIOCRANIDAE-Liocranid Sac Spiders
LYCOSIDAE-Wolf Spiders
MICROHEXURIDAE-
MIMETIDAE-Pirate spiders
MITURGIDAE-Prowling Spiders
MYSMENIDAE-
NEOBISIIDAE-
NEPHILIDAE-
NESTICIDAE-Scaffold Web Spiders
OECOBIIDAE-Wall spiders
OONOPIDAE-
OXYOPIDAE-Lynx Spiders
PHALANGIIDAE-
PHALANGODIDAE-Armoured harvestmen
PHILODROMIDAE-Running Crab Spiders
PHOLCIDAE-
PHONOGNATHIDAE-
PHRUROLITHIDAE-
PISAURIDAE-Nursery Web Spiders
SABACONIDAE-
SALTICIDAE-Jumping Spiders
SCLEROSOMATIDAE-
SCYTODIDAE-
SEGESTRIIDAE-
SICARIIDAE-
SPARASSIDAE-Giant Crab Spiders
STERNOPHORIDAE-
TARACIDAE-
TETRAGNATHIDAE-Long-jawed Orb Weavers
THERIDIIDAE-Cobweb Spiders
THERIDIOSOMATIDAE-Ray Spiders
THOMISIDAE-Crab Spiders
TITANOECIDAE-
TRACHELIDAE-
TRIAENONYCHIDAE-Armoured harvestmen
TRIDENCHTHONIIDAE-
ULOBORIDAE-Cribellate Orb Weavers
VAEJOVIDAE-
ZOROPSIDAE-False Wolf Spiders & Wandering Spiders
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Araneidae Members:
Acacesia hamata
Acanthepeira cherokee
Acanthepeira marion
Acanthepeira stellata
Acanthepeira venusta
Araneus alboventris
Araneus bicentenarius
Araneus bivittatus
Araneus bonsallae
Araneus cingulatus
Araneus diadematus
Araneus gadus
Araneus guttulatus
Araneus iviei
Araneus juniperi
Araneus marmoreus
Araneus miniatus
Araneus niveus
Araneus nordmanni
Araneus partitus
Araneus pegnia
Araneus pratensis
Araneus saevus
Araneus thaddeus
Araneus trifolium
Araneus tuscarora
Araneus unidentified species
Araniella displicata
Argiope aurantia
Argiope florida
Argiope trifasciata
Cyclosa caroli
Cyclosa conica
Cyclosa turbinata
Eriophora ravilla
Eustala anastera
Eustala cepina
Eustala emertoni
Gasteracantha cancriformis
Gea heptagon
Hypsosinga funebris
Hypsosinga rubens
Kaira alba
Larinia directa
Larinioides cornutus
Larinioides patagiatus
Larinioides sclopetarius
Mangora gibberosa
Mangora maculata
Mangora placida
Mangora spiculata
Mastophora bisaccata
Mastophora phrynosoma
Mastophora stowei
Mastophora timuqua
Mecynogea lemniscata
Metazygia calix
Metazygia carolinalis
Metazygia wittfeldae
Metepeira labyrinthea
Micrathena gracilis
Micrathena mitrata
Micrathena sagittata
Neoscona arabesca
Neoscona crucifera
Neoscona domiciliorum
Neoscona nautica
Neoscona oaxacensis
Neoscona pratensis
Ocrepeira ectypa
Ocrepeira georgia
Singa keyserlingi
Verrucosa arenata
NC
Records
Acanthepeira cherokee
- an orbweaver
Taxonomy
Order:
ARANEAE
Infraorder:
Araneomorphae
Family:
Araneidae
Identification
Online Description/Photos:
BugGuide
Google
,
iNaturalist
,
Wikipedia
,
GBIF
Technical Description:
Spiders of North America - Bradley; Spiders of the Carolinas – Gaddy; Bugguide
Comments:
Abdomen shape with 10-12 rounded points along the edge. Coloration typcially reddish orange, but likely variable. Usually a dark area throughout the middle portion of the abdomen. The frontal spike hanging over the cephalothorax can have two white lines that form a long peak. Rear spike can be darker. Cephalothorax color varies like the abdomen, legs can be banded in either sex. Male has similar markings and coloration but with a smaller abdomen. Body is covered in hairlike setae. Lateral eyes are on a pointed tubercle. In retreat often folds legs in front to a point. It is exceedingly difficult to separate some Acanthepeira specimens from the southeastern United States and it appears that three species interbreed. A. cherokee - Females (8.5-10.5 mm) may differ from other species in this genus by having smaller/less distinct abdominal humps. Males (6.5-11 mm) have 4th coxa without tubercle. Habitat is moist bottomland woods. A. marion - Females (10-15.5 mm) easily recognized by rounded humps. Males (7-10.5 mm) have 4th coxa with tubercle. A. stellata - Females (7-15 mm) Larger than venusta, more rounded, darker, deeply colored abdomen. Of the 4 species this is the only one which has AMEs smaller than secondary eyes. Female scape can be variable, esp. those from FL. Males (5-8 mm) have 4th coxa with tubercle and retrolateral macrosetae of fourth femur about equal in size. A. venusta - Females (6-10 mm) Can be distinguished by smaller size, narrow abdomen & lighter less contrasting pattern. This is the only species that might have ventral white marks. It might have a white transverse mark or two white spots behind the genital groove. Males (5-7.5 mm) have 4th coxa without tubercle.
Total Length:
Small to medium size spider, Female total body length 8.3-10.4 mm, Male total body length 6.5-10.9 mm.
Adult ID:
identifiable by photo of specific features and/or supplementary info
Distribution in North Carolina
Comments:
Probably more common in the Piedmont and coastal plain, scattered records throughout the southeast. Eggs hatch in July and overwinter as subadults. Adults mature in spring and early summer.
County Map:
Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
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:
Likely the same as others in the genus, old fields, grasslands, sand dune vegetation, meadows, forest under story, structures and occasionally in trees.
Observation Methods:
Collected by sweep netting or visual surveys.
Abundance/Frequency:
Occassional
Silk / Web:
6-10" orb web in vegetation up to four feet in height.
Prey:
Preys on grasshopper nymphs and other medium sized insects including a rare occurrence of a green tree frog.
Behavior:
Likely the same as others in the genus, Nocturnal but not strictly, builds a 6-10" orb web in vegetation up to four feet in height. Female spends the night in hub of web facing down. Easily disturbed it can drop from web to disappear in vegetation or to feign death. During the day it rests in a retreat. Egg sacs are a loose brown silk mass attached to a leaf.
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
State Protection:
Comments:
Photo Gallery for
Acanthepeira cherokee
- an orbweaver
Photos: 4
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-03-05
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-03-05
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Robert Emmott on 2023-04-16
Haywood Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Robert Emmott on 2023-04-16
Haywood Co.
Comment:
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