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Genus: Gasteracanthus (kite spiders) Life
> Eukaryotes
>
Opisthokonta >
Metazoa
(animals) > Bilateria > Ecdysozoa > Panarthropoda > Tritocerebra >
Arthropoda > Arachnomorpha > Cheliceriformes > Chelicerata > Euchelicerata
> Arachnida > Araneae
> Araneomorpha > Family: Araneidae
Kite spiders are diurnal
orb-web spiders. Species occur mainly in the tropics and sub-tropics, with four
species in South Africa. The spider is small, 8-10 mm, brightly coloured in
shades of cream, yellow, red and black. The adbomen is sclerotised
(porcelain-like) with four lateral and two posterior spines, the second pair
longest and the first shortest.
Species indigenous to southern Africa
Gasteracantha
falcicornis
Distributed from east Africa to northern Kwazulu/Natal.
The hind pair of lateral spines are long and strongly curved posteriorly. |
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Gasteracantha
milvoides
Distributed from central and east Africa to northern
Kwazulu/Natal. The hind pair of lateral spines are long and straight. |
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Gasteracantha sanguinolenta
Gasteracanthus sanguinolenta, is a diurnal species
that occupies the higher zones amongst trees, a metre, and higher, above the
ground. The abdomen is wider than long, coloured red, yellow and black and
porcelain-like with six projections on the abdomen - two laterally and two
posteriorly. Ventrally Gasteracanthus sanguinolenta is black with red
spots. The legs are short and black. This is typically a tropical and
sub-tropical species but its range extends along the south coast as far as
Cape Town. |
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Gasteracantha
versicolor
Distributed from central and east Africa to
Kwazulu/Natal. Very similar to Gasteracanthus sanguinolenta. |
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Text and images by Norman Larsen
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