Araniella

Cucumber green spider ( Araniella cucurbitina )

Pumpkin Spider ( Araniella ) are small orb weavers. Worldwide, the genus includes 12 species, seven of which are also found in Central Europe. The largest species have a maximum body length of ten millimeters.

The best-known species of the genus is the pumpkin spider Araniella cucurbitina. It very often happens on larger plants such as shrubs or deciduous and coniferous trees. There she builds her little orb through leaves and branches and waits in its web for prey.

All types except Araniella displicata are largely colored green and so well camouflaged in the vegetation.

Due to their similarity, the species of the genus are usually only be determined with the microscope by means of the epigynum and the pedipalps. The only exception is A. displicata, in the adult animals are easily recognizable by their color. However, the juveniles of this species are similar also very strong the other Araniella species.

The species occurring in Europe are:

  • Araniella Alpica (L. Koch, 1869)
  • Araniella cucurbitina pumpkin spider ( Clerck, 1757)
  • Araniella displicata ( Hentz, 1847)
  • Araniella inconspicua (Simon, 1874)
  • Araniella maderiana ( Kulczynski, 1905)
  • Araniella opisthographa ( Kulczynski, 1905)
  • Araniella proxima ( Kulczynski, 1885)
  • Araniella silesiaca ( Fickert, 1876)

Swell

  • Norman I. Platnick, 2007. The World Spider Catalog, version 8.0. American Museum of Natural History.
Epigyne Ludwig Carl Christian Koch Carl Alexander Clerck
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