Aculepeira ceropegia

Oakleaf orb-weaver ( Aculepeira ceropegia ), female

The oak leaf or oak leaf orb-weaver spider ( Aculepeira ceropegia, syn. Araneus ceropegia ) is a spider of the family of Real orb-weaving spiders ( Araneidae ). Thanks to their eponymous, striking drawing the species is relatively well determined. It is widespread in Central Europe and quite frequently.

Description

The females are on average 12-14 mm, males 7-8 mm in size. The front body ( prosoma ) is fairly uniform dark brown and brightened significantly only to the eyes. However, this color is hardly recognizable mostly by the strong, white hair. The back body ( opisthosoma ) are relatively high, pointed clearly quite narrow and backward. He points to yellowish brown ground a fine dark network design and on the center back a very striking, white longitudinal band which is repeatedly and strongly bulged becomes narrower towards the rear. It is vaguely reminiscent of the leaf of a stalk or sessile oak. The leg ( femur) are uniformly brown, the outer leg members are curled tight light-dark.

Distribution and habitat

The species colonized almost all of Europe, but it is not as common in the Northwest and missing in the UK and Ireland as well as in Denmark. They inhabited open, sunny areas of all kinds, especially dry grasslands, wastelands and wet meadows, but also forest clearings. The oak leaf orb-weaver is often in the low mountain ranges and comes in the Alps to around 2,500 m before.

Way of life

The network will be built near the ground between shrubs or stalks of grain. The network hub is coated with a densely woven and white cocoon. The seat waiting is usually located near the top edge of the network on plant parts in a upwardly open, bowl -shaped cocoon. On dry plant parts, the spider is there very noticeable, but it also selects larger flowers for the hiding the facility where they will be less noticeable. The spider can be already covered with small faults immediately to the ground to later climb back into hiding again at their security thread.

System

Since the morphology of the genital organs clearly representatives of the genus of spiders (Araneus ) differs, this originally asked Araneus species was combined with the widespread in the Alps Aculepeira carbonaria in a separate genus.

Endangering

The species is widespread and common in medium suitable habitats. It is classified as " safely " in Germany in the Red List.

Swell