Spiders of North Carolina

Arachnids of North Carolina

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

Cyclosa turbinata - humped trashline 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

Cyclosa: From Greek - 'to move in a circle, circling spider', referring to the spinning of the web.

species_comment

id_comments

Variegated brown and white abdomen and brown cephalathorax. The end of the abdomen is extended into a variable lobe with a pair of anterior forward facing dorsal humps. Can be distinguished from C. cyclosa by the slightly smaller size and the presence of two forward facing humps near the wide part of the abdomen. Males with cephalathorax black, abdomen black with variable white spots, legs variable orange with single wide black bands on front pair of legs.

total_length

Small, female total body length 3.3-5.2mm, male total body length 2.1-3.2mm

structural_features

silk_web

Small orb web that usually has a line of accumulated debris, a trashline, placed vertically through the center on a band of silk. The debris includes the indigestible remains of prey and fragments of dry leaves. Sometimes the only the silk band/stalimentum is present or the webs is not decorated.

fld_guide_descriptions

online_photos

prey

predators

Hummingbirds and wasps.

behavior

Spider sits beneath the debris line in perfect camouflage. Adult females attach their egg cases to the debris line, unlike C. cyclosa.

distribution_reference

technical_reference

Spiders of North America - Bradley; Spiders of the Carolinas – Gaddy; Bugguide; Prey discrimination by web-borne vibrations: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4599173?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents; Detritus stailimenta: http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v4_n3/JoA_v4_p215.pdf; an examination of the structure and genitalia of Cyclose and Eustala: http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/4314711#page/79/mode/1up

adult_id

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

abundance

Uncommon.

distribution_comments

Uncommon throughout North Carolina and all through the eastern United States. Males active in summer, females spring through summer in the north, all year in the south.

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 field or forest edge at high elevations

observation_methods

Visual observation.

state_protection

NHP_ranks

NHP_status

status_comments

Photo Gallery for Cyclosa turbinata humped trashline orbweaver
	Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal, Nora Murdock, Robert Emmott Jackson Co. Comment: Dry sections of an alternately dry and seepy cliffline along Blue Ridge Parkway. Mid-abdomen 'bumps' visible.	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment: The web of the Cyclosa conica I just submitted
	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment: The web of the Cyclosa conica I just submitted	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment: The web of the Cyclosa conica I just submitted
	Recorded by: Mark BASINGER & Donald ZEPP Harnett Co. Comment: Male beaten from trees & bushes	Recorded by: Mark BASINGER & Donald ZEPP Harnett Co. Comment: Male beaten from trees & bushes
	Recorded by: Mark BASINGER & Donald ZEPP Harnett Co. Comment: Male beaten from trees & bushes	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Surry Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Alamance Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Alamance Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Donald Zepp Johnston Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Ashe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: E. Corey, C. Helms, and M. Flanagan Columbus Co. Comment: LAWA - found trashline in wet area inundated with pitcher plants and mosquitoes

Photo Gallery for Cyclosa turbinata humped trashline orbweaver