Spiders of North Carolina

Arachnids of North Carolina

Order:
Scientific Name: Common Name:		Family (Alpha):

Next

View	Araneidae Members:	NC Records
Gea heptagon - an orbweaver

Taxonomy

Order: ARANEAE	Infraorder: Araneomorphae	Family: 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, GBIF	Technical 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.


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:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks:

State Protection:

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Gea heptagon - an orbweaver
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: body 3.5 mm, was on goldenrod		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: body 3.5 mm, was on goldenrod
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: body 3.5 mm, was on goldenrod		Recorded by: John Petranka Orange Co. Comment: New Hope Creek Biodiversity Survey (2021-2022)
	Recorded by: Erich Hofmann Craven Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Erich Hofmann Craven Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Erich Hofmann Craven Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther Jones Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Currituck Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Wayne Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Wayne Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Hunter Phillips, Morganne Bowers Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Hunter Phillips, Morganne Bowers Onslow Co. Comment:		Recorded by: FKW Gates Co. Comment: MEMI - Female
	Recorded by: FKW Gates Co. Comment: MEMI - Females		Recorded by: Donald ZEPP Johnston Co. Comment: Emaciated male, died in captivity.
	Recorded by: Donald ZEPP Johnston Co. Comment: Emaciated male, died in captivity.		Recorded by: Donald ZEPP Johnston Co. Comment: Emaciated male, died in captivity.
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Halifax Co. Comment: