Spiders of North Carolina

Arachnids of North Carolina

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

Acanthepeira stellata - Star-bellied orb weaver Araneidae Members:			NC Records	BugGuide Account	Public View

Start Discussion

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

Latin for "starred" from stella- "star". Alternate spelling Starbellied Orbweaver. Though technically star-abdomened, the points are visible from below.

id_comments

Abdomen shape with 10-12 points along the edge. Coloration typcially brownish gray, but can be greenish, orange or reddish. Usually a dark area in the middle portion of the rear part of the abdomen. White or pale bands can sometimes show on sides or front. The frontal spike hanging over the cephalothorax can have two white lines that form a "v" at the point or even a triangle. Rear spike has a darker "v" or chevron. 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 sized spider, Female total body length 7.0-15.1 mm, male total body length 5.1-8.1mm.

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

Starbellied Orbweavers are often found in the larval mud cells of mud daubers.

behavior

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; Kaston 1948. Bugguide

adult_id

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

abundance

Frequent

distribution_comments

Found throughout North Carolina and the eastern United States. Eggs hatch in late summer, sub adults overwinter and 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

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 stellata Star-bellied orb weaver
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wayne Co. Comment: Male.	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wayne Co. Comment: Male.
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wilson Co. Comment: Male. Not sure of species.	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wilson Co. Comment: Male. Not sure of species.
	Recorded by: David George Chatham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Chris MURPHY & Donald ZEPP Johnston Co. Comment: In orb web by workshop
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Ashe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: R. Newman Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA
	Recorded by: R. Newman Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips Onslow Co. Comment:	Recorded by: R. Newman Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA
	Recorded by: N. Williamson Moore Co. Comment: WEWO	Recorded by: J. Mickey Surry Co. Comment: PIMO - Along river trail/Horne Cr. Trl. @ -80.492524, 36.257916
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Cumberland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Burke Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Onslow Co. Comment:	Recorded by: R. Newman Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA - Female @ -76.685800, 34.699213
	Recorded by: R. Newman Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA	Recorded by: R. Newman Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Pender Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Richmond Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: J. A. Anderson Surry Co. Comment: PIMO - @ -80.485239, 36.264933	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Yancey Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Surry Co. Comment:	Recorded by: j.wyche, n.dominick Gates Co. Comment: MEMI - Lassiter Trail b/t visitor center & picnic area
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Pender Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Warren Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Halifax Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Halifax Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jane Wyche Gates Co. Comment: MEMI - on hiking trail from visitor center to Millpond Rd.	Recorded by: Jane Wyche Gates Co. Comment: MEMI - on hiking trail from visitor center to Millpond Rd.
	Recorded by: T. DeSantis, SBW Camden Co. Comment: DISW - Swamp Boardwalk	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Steve Hall Orange Co. Comment:

Photo Gallery for Acanthepeira stellata Star-bellied orb weaver