Spiders of North Carolina

Arachnids of North Carolina

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

Acanthepeira cherokee - an orbweaver Araneidae Members:			NC Records	BugGuide Account	Public View

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Distribution Records
PDF

Vetting Levels

Adult phenology:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge

synonym

taxonomic_comments

species_comment

id_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.

structural_features

silk_web

6-10" orb web in vegetation up to four feet in height.

fld_guide_descriptions

online_photos

https://bugguide.net/node/view/1994

prey

Preys on grasshopper nymphs and other medium sized insects including a rare occurrence of a green tree frog.

predators

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.

distribution_reference

technical_reference

Spiders of North America - Bradley; Spiders of the Carolinas – Gaddy; Bugguide

adult_id

1 identifiable by photo 2 identifiable by photo of specific features and/or supplementary info 3 identifiable from specimen only

abundance

Occassional

distribution_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.

checklist_mt_high
>=4,000 ft.

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom	Frequency Regular – almost always observed on given visit; >=90% chance of observation Frequent – usually observed on a given visit; >=50%<90% chance of observation Infrequent – observed less than 50% of visits; >=25%<50% chance of observation Occasional – observed on only on a small minority of visits; >=10%<25% chance of observation Seldom – not usually seen on visits; <10% chance of observation These terms refer to visits to appropriate habitats made at appropriate times of the year, making use of common sampling/observation methods. Under those conditions, Frequency refers to the chance of observing at least one individual on a given visit made anywhere within a particular region, or over multiple visits to a single site.

checklist_mt_low
<4,000 ft.

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

checklist_pd
Piedmont

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

checklist_cp
Coastal Plain

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

habitat

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.

state_protection

NHP_ranks

NHP_status

status_comments

Photo Gallery for Acanthepeira cherokee an orbweaver
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wilson Co. Comment: Body length approx. 7mm\r\nFemale\r\nRolls up into a ball.	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wilson Co. Comment: Body length approx. 7mm\r\nFemale\r\nRolls up into a ball.
	Recorded by: Robert Emmott Haywood Co. Comment: One adult on a queen bumblebee it had captured in its web	Recorded by: Robert Emmott Haywood Co. Comment: One adult on a queen bumblebee it had captured in its web

Photo Gallery for Acanthepeira cherokee an orbweaver