Spiders of North Carolina

Arachnids of North Carolina

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

Gea heptagon - 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

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.

id_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.

structural_features

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.

fld_guide_descriptions

online_photos

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).

predators

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.

distribution_reference

technical_reference

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

adult_id

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

abundance

Occasional

distribution_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.

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, marshes, roadside ditch and agricultural fields.

observation_methods

Visual observation, sweep netting.

state_protection

NHP_ranks

NHP_status

status_comments

Photo Gallery for Gea heptagon an orbweaver
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp Nash Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp Nash Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp Johnston Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp Johnston Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp Wayne Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Anson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Anson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Montgomery Co. Comment:	Recorded by: John Petranka Orange Co. Comment: New Hope Creek Biodiversity Survey (2021-2022)
	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 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Cumberland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Wayne Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Wayne Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Currituck Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Hunter Phillips, Morganne Bowers Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Hunter Phillips, Morganne Bowers Onslow Co. Comment:	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: 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: 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: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Halifax Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: FKW Gates Co. Comment: MEMI - Female	Recorded by: FKW Gates Co. Comment: MEMI - Females

Photo Gallery for Gea heptagon an orbweaver