Minnesota Spiders
Order Araneae |
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Araneae (spiders) is the order of arachnids that is characterized by breathing air, having eight legs, and having chelicerae (mouth parts) with fangs that inject venom. There are 43,678 known species in 3,705 genera in 109 families worldwide. There are about 3,400 species in North America and at least 466 species in Minnesota. |
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Recent Additions |
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Orbweavers (Family Araneidae) |
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Araneidae is a large family of typical spiders known as orbweavers. It is the third largest family of spiders. There are 3,067 currently recognized orbweaver species in 177 genera worldwide, 180 species in North America north of Mexico, and at least 44 species in 16 genera in Minnesota. Orbweavers are found in woodlands, fields, and caves; on grasses, shrubs, and trees; and on buildings and fences. They are best known for the circular webs, called orbs, that they build. The webs consist of a framework of non-sticky threads (spokes) extending from the edge to the middle, and concentric circles of sticky threads winding to the center. Orbweavers are very diverse in size, shape, and color. They have eight small eyes in two rows. The lateral eyes are usually well separated from the median eyes. The median ocular area (MOA), the area defined by the middle four eyes, is in the shape of a trapezoid. The front part of the body (carapace) is smaller than the rear part (abdomen). The abdomen is large, rounded, and marked with lines, spots, or zig-zag patterns. The legs are short and spiny. The first and second pairs of legs project forward, the third and fourth pairs project backward. There are three claws at the end of each leg, though these are not visible without magnification. Females are much larger than males. |
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| Photo by Margot Avey | ||||
Fishing spiders (Dolomedes spp.) |
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Dolomedes is a large species of nursery web spiders known as fishing spiders, raft spiders, dock spiders or wharf spiders. There are more than 100 currently recognized species worldwide, 8 species in North America north of Mexico. Four species have been recorded in Minnesota. Fishing spiders have a worldwide distribution, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. They are usually found near permanent bodies of water, or on floating vegetation in a body of water. Some are found in grassy meadows. One, dark fishing spider, wanders well away from water. One, white-banded fishing spider, lives in trees. The remainder are semiaquatic, spending part of their time in or on water. Some fishing spiders sit quietly at the edge of a lake or pond or on floating vegetation. They rest their front three pairs of legs on the water surface to detect ripples or vibrations of prey. Others stalk prey on land. They eat mostly aquatic insects but also small fish. None hunt from webs, but all make nursery webs for their young. All fishing spiders are covered with water repelling (hydrophobic) hairs. They are able to run across the surface of the water and even to “climb” under the surface to subdue prey. When they submerge, air is trapped on the underside of their abdomen, and they are able to breath underwater. |
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| Photo by Alissa H. | ||||
Common house spider |
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Common house spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) is the most common house spider in the eastern United States. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. In the United States it is common east of the Great Plains and west of the Rocky Mountains, uncommon between. Common house spider is found in and around human dwellings, sheds, barns, and privies, in stables, under highway bridges, and in culverts. It appears year-round when indoors, but it cannot survive northern winters outdoors. Its web is often built in upper angles of rooms and in corners of window frames and doorways. It hunts at night, hanging upside-down in the middle of the web. During the day it retreats into a corner or a crack. Common house spider is a medium-sized colorful comb-footed spider. The front part of the body is short, flat, highest in the middle, and yellowish-brown. The back part of the body is gray with white and dark markings. There is a dark horizontal line just before the highest point, white chevrons before the line, a white spot just behind the highest point, and dark chevrons behind the spot. On lighter individuals the markings are indistinct. On the male the abdomen is more slender. The legs are yellow with dark bands on the female, orangish on the male. |
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| Photo by Alfredo Colon | ||||
Orchard orbweaver |
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Orchard orbweaver (Leucauge venusta) is a sedentary, small, brilliantly colored, long-jawed orb weaver. It is one of the most common spiders in the eastern United States, but is less common in Minnesota, where it reaches the western extent of its range. It is found in forests, dense woodlands, woodland edges, shrubby meadows, gardens, and orchards. The species name venusta is Latin for “beautiful” and it is easy to see why it was given to this spider. The abdomen is silvery-white with four pairs of dark stripes, a yellow stripe on each side, and often a pair of bright coppery-red spots toward the rear. Charles Darwin collected this species in 1832 on his voyage of the Beagle. He named it Leucauge argyrobapta. Both names are from the Greek, Leucauge meaning “with a bright gleam,” and argyrobapta meaning “dipped in silver.” The specimen was lost after Darwin’s voyage back to London. In 1973, as party of an experiment to study web building in zero gravity, two orchard weaver spiders were brought to the U.S. space station Skylab 3. After some time to adjust to weightlessness, the spiders constructed complete webs that were not much different than those constructed on earth. |
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| Photo by Alfredo Colon | ||||
Brilliant jumping spider |
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Brilliant jumping spider (Phidippus clarus) occurs across North America from coast to coast. It is very common in Minnesota. A study in 1997 surveyed jumping spiders in 30 locations around Minnesota. The author collected 572 jumping spiders representing 15 species. Brilliant jumping spider was by far the most common, with 299 specimens (52%) collected. Brilliant jumping spider is found from July to September in moderately moist fields on grasses and perennial plants. It is a small to medium-sized spider (order Araneae) but a relatively large jumping spider (family Salticidae). Adults are mostly black with four pairs of white spots and two red stripes on the abdomen. The female is a paragon of parental perseverance. In the fall she creates a large white egg sac at the top of a tall grass or herbaceous plant and drops eggs into the sac. She prevents the eggs from drying out by repeatedly adding silk to cover the egg mass. She stays with the egg sac until the young disperse in about a month. During this time she does not feed and usually dies from starvation a few days later. |
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| Photo by Alfredo Colon | ||||
Other Recent Additions |
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meshweavers (Family Dictynidae) western lynx spider (Oxyopes scalaris) openfield orbweaver (Araneus pratensis) starbellied orbweaver (Acanthepeira stellata) cross orbweaver (Araneus diadematus) conical trashline orbweaver (Cyclosa conica) |
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| Photo by Babette Kis | ||||
This list includes only spiders that have been recorded in Minnesota, but not all of the spiders found in Minnesota. |
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Acanthepeira stellata (starbellied orbweaver) Admestina wheeleri (Wheeler's thick-legged jumping spider) Agelenopsis oklahoma (Oklahoma grass funnel weaver) Agelenopsis potteri (Potter’s funnelweb spider) Agelenopsis spp. (grass spiders) Agelenopsis utahana (Utah grass funnel weaver) Alopecosa aculeata (spinyrib wolf spider) Anyphaena pectorosa (eastern spurred ghost spider) Anyphaena spp. (ghost spiders) Araneus bicentenarius (giant lichen orbweaver) Araneus cavaticus (barn spider) Araneus corticarius (humped bog orbweaver) Araneus diadematus (cross orbweaver) Araneus gemmoides (cat-faced orbweaver) Araneus iviei (orange orbweaver) Araneus marmoreus (marbled orbweaver) Araneus nordmanni (Nordmann’s orbweaver) Araneus pratensis (openfield orbweaver) Araneus saevus (fierce orbweaver) Araneus thaddeus (lattice orbweaver) Araneus trifolium (shamrock orbweaver) Araniella displicata (six-spotted orbweaver) Arctosa littoralis (shoreline wolf spider) Arctosa rubicunda (redlined wolf spider) Argiope aurantia (black and yellow argiope) Argiope trifasciata (banded argiope) Asagena americana (two-spotted cobweb spider) Attulus fasciger (Asiatic wall jumping spider) Attulus floricola (flower jumping spider) Callilepis pluto (Pluto ground hunter) Castianeira cingulata (twobanded antmimic) Castianeira longipalpa (long-palped ant-mimic sac spider) Ceraticelus fissiceps (bicolored armoured money spider) Cheiracanthium mildei (northern yellow sac spider) Coras juvenilis (lesser spurred woodland funnelweaver) Coras lamellosus (contrasting spurred woodland funnelweaver) Coras medicinalis (medicine spider) Coras montanus (northern spurred woodland funnelweaver) Cyclosa conica (conical trashline orbweaver) Cyclosa turbinata (humped trashline orbweaver) Dictyna volucripes (truncated thread meshweaver) Dolomedes scriptus (striped fishing spider) Dolomedes spp. (fishing spiders) Dolomedes striatus (fishing spider) Dolomedes tenebrosus (dark fishing spider) Dolomedes triton (six-spotted fishing spider) Drapetisca alteranda (northern long-toothed sheetweaver) Drassodes saccatus (saccate notched ground spider) Drassyllus depressus (common hitchhiking ground spider) Dysdera crocata (woodlouse hunter) Emblyna annulipes (hackled-banded dictynid spider) Emblyna sublata (wide ribbon meshweaver) Enoplognatha marmorata (marbled cobweb spider) Enoplognatha ovata (candy-striped spider) Eris militaris (bronze jumping spider) Eustala anastera (humpbacked orbweaver) Eustala cepina (riparian duncecap orbweaver) Evarcha hoyi (Hoy’s jumping spider) Florinda coccinea (black-tailed red sheetweaver) Frontinella pyramitela (bowl-and-doily spider) Gea heptagon (heptagonal orbweaver) Geolycosa missouriensis (burrowing wolf spider) Ghelna canadensis (three-lined ground jumping dpider) Gladicosa gulosa (drumming wolf spider) Gnaphosa parvula (bog ground hunter) Habronattus cognatus (white-lipped ornamented jumping spider) Habronattus texanus (Texas ornamented jumping spider) Haplodrassus signifer (ensign ground hunter) Hentzia mitrata (white-jawed jumping spider) Hentzia palmarum (common Hentz jumping spider) Herpyllus ecclesiasticus (eastern parson spider) Hibana gracilis (garden ghost spider) Hogna baltimoriana (unbanded wolf spider) Hogna carolinensis (Carolina wolf spider) Hogna frondicola (forest wolf spider) Hypselistes florens (peatland sheet-web weaver) Hypsosinga pygmaea (small orbweaver) Larinia borealis (striped orbweaver) Larinioides patagiatus (bordered orbweaver) Latrodectus variolus (northern black widow) Leucauge venusta (orchard orbweaver) Maevia inclemens (dimorphic jumper) Mangora gibberosa (lined orbweaver) Mangora placida (tuftlegged orbweaver) Marpissa formosa (short-bellied slender jumping spider) Marpissa grata (toothed slender jumping spider) Marpissa lineata (four-lined slender jumping spider) Marpissa pikei (Pike slender jumping spider) Mecaphesa asperata (northern crab spider) Mecaphesa celer (swift crab spider) Micaria gertschi (Gertsch’s antmimic ground spider) Micaria longipes (slender-spined antmimic ground spider) Micaria pulicaria (glossy ant-spider) Micrathena gracilis (spined micrathena) Micrathena mitrata (white micrathena) Micrathena sagittata (arrowshaped micrathena) Mimetus notius (reticulated pirate spider) Misumena vatia (goldenrod crab spider) Misumenoides formosipes (white-banded crab spider) Misumessus oblongus (American green crab spider) Myrmarachne formicaria (ant mimic jumping spider) Naphrys pulex (flea jumping spider) Neon nelli (Nell’s tiny jumping spider) Neoscona arabesca (arabesque orbweaver) Neoscona crucifera (spotted orbweaver) Neoscona pratensis (marsh orbweaver) Neospintharus trigonum (horned parasitic cobweaver) Oxyopes salticus (striped lynx spider) Oxyopes scalaris (western lynx spider) Parasteatoda tabulata (wandering house cobweaver) Parasteatoda tepidariorum (common house spider) Pardosa distincta (pale thin-legged wolf spider) Pardosa fuscula (snowbank wolf spider) Pardosa groenlandica (Greenland wolf spider) Pardosa hyperborea (taiga wolf spider) Pardosa lapidicina (stone spider) Pardosa mackenziana (Mackenzie’s thin-legged wolf spider) Pardosa milvina (shore spider) Pardosa modica (little banded wolf spider) Pardosa moesta (shiny wolf spider) Pardosa saxatilis (saxatile thin-legged wolf spider) Pardosa spp. (thin-legged wolf spiders) Pardosa xerampelina (forest wolf spider) Pelegrina arizonensis (grassland white-cheeked jumping spider) Pelegrina flavipes (yellowleg jumping spider) Pelegrina insignis (spotted white-cheeked jumping spider) Pelegrina proterva (common white-cheeked jumping spider) Pelegrina spp. (white-cheeked jumping spider) Phidippus apacheanus (Apache jumping spider) Phidippus borealis (boreal tufted jumping spider) Phidippus clarus (brilliant jumping spider) Phidippus princeps (grayish jumping spider) Phidippus purpuratus (marbled purple jumping spider) Phidippus spp. (jumping spider) Phidippus whitmani (Whitman’s jumping spider) Philodromus cespitum (turf running spider) Philodromus placidus (slow running crab spider) Philodromus rufus vibrans (red running crab spider) Philodromus spp. (running crab spiders) Pholcus phalangioides (longbodied cellar spider) Pirata aspirans (dark-tipped pirate wolf spider) Pirata montanoides (Great Lakes pirate wolf spider) Pirata montanus (dark-legged pirate wolf spider) Pirata piraticus (pirate otter spider) Pirata sedentarius (spiny-legged pirate wolf spider) Piratula canadensis (Canada pirate wolf spider) Piratula cantralli (Cantrall’s wolf spider) Piratula minuta (small pirate wolf spider) Pisaurina mira (American nursery web spider) Pityohyphantes costatus annulipes (hammock spider) Platycryptus undatus (tan jumping spider) Rabidosa rabida (rabid wolf spider) Salticus scenicus (zebra jumper) Sassacus papenhoei (common leaf-beetle jumping spider) Schizocosa avida (lance wolf spider) Schizocosa crassipes (wolf spider) Schizocosa mccooki (McCook’s split wolf spider) Schizocosa ocreata (brush-legged wolf spider) Sergiolus capulatus (variegated ground spider) Sergiolus montanus (common patterned ant-mimic ground spider) Singa eugeni (Eugen’s orbweaver) Singa keyserlingi (Keyserling’s orbweaver) Sitticus concolor (jumping spider) Sosticus insularis (Long Island crevice ground spider) Steatoda borealis (boreal combfoot) Steatoda grossa (false black widow) Steatoda triangulosa (triangulate comb-foot) Synageles noxiosus (spined antmimic jumping spider) Synageles occidentalis (tripod antmimic jumping spider) Synemosyna formica (slender ant-mimic jumping spider) Talavera minuta (minute jumping spider) Tegenaria domestica (barn funnel weaver) Tetragnatha caudata (tailed long-jawed orbweaver) Tetragnatha extensa (common stretch spider) Tetragnatha guatemalensis (Guatemala long-jawed spider) Tetragnatha laboriosa (silver longjawed orbweaver) Tetragnatha pallescens (pale long-jawed spider) Tetragnatha spp. (stretch spiders) Tetragnatha viridis (green longjawed orbweaver) Theridion differens (different cobweb weaver) Theridion spp. (typical cobweb spiders) Thymoites spp. (cobweb spiders) Thymoites unimaculatus (spotted cobweaver) Tibellus oblongus (oblong running spider) Tibellus spp. (slender crab spiders) Tigrosa helluo (wetland giant wolf spider) Tmarus angulatus (tuberculated crab spider) Trachelas tranquillus (broad-faced sac spider) Trochosa ruricola (rustic wolf spider) Trochosa terricola (ground wolf spider) Tutelina elegans (thin-spined jumping spider) Tutelina formicaria (white-striped jumping spider) Tutelina harti (Hart’s jumping spider) Tutelina similis (thick-spined jumping spider) Tutelina spp. (jumping spider) Uloborus glomosus (featherlegged orbweaver) Xysticus acerbus (ground crab spider) Xysticus acquiescens (Great Plains ground crab spider) Xysticus albertensis (Alberta ground crab spider) Xysticus alboniger (contrasted ground crab spider) Xysticus ampullatus (swollen ground crab spider) Xysticus auctificus (recumbent ground crab spider) Xysticus benefactor (helpful ground crab spider) Xysticus canadensis (boreal ground crab spider) Xysticus discursans (wandering ground crab spider) Xysticus elegans (elegant crab spider) Xysticus emertoni (Emerton’s crab spider) Xysticus ferox (tan crab spider) Xysticus fervidus (rare ground crab spider) Xysticus gulosus (grey ground crab spider) Xysticus luctans (twisted ground crab spider) Xysticus punctatus (punctated ground crab spider) Xysticus spp. (ground crab spiders) Xysticus triguttatus (three-banded crab spider) Yunohamella lyrica (lyric cobweaver) Zelotes fratris (Fratris ground hunter) Zelotes hentzi (Hentz’s preening ground spider) Zelotes puritanus (puritan ground hunter) Zygoballus nervosus (nervous hammer-jawed jumping spider) |
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_01.jpg "jumping spider (Tutelina sp.)")
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Capitalization of Common Names
The 1997 version of Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms, published by the Entomological Society of America (ESA), contains only 9 spider species. Two of those are placed in the wrong family and four are unrecognized common names. The inadequate coverage of arachnids by the ICZN spurred the American Arachnological Society (AAS) to develop their own list, Common Names of Arachnids. While the ESA has no rule or guideline that addresses capitalization of common names, the AAS does. Capital letters should not be used unless 1) the name begins a sentence, then the first letter of the name should be capitalized; or 2) the common name begins with a proper name, and that proper name begins with a capital letter (place name or person’s last name). MinnesotaSeasons.com will adhere to the convention adopted by AAS.
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