Spiny Orb Weaver

Identification - gasteracantha sp.

I spotted this tiny spider in the first few meters of my safari today, hanging on its web above my head. This was the best I could get, because if I moved to a more desirable square on, the sun came into play. Still, even with the slight breeze, I was lucky to get this much.

This is a new addition to my collection, making the third type of spiny orb spider. Unfortunately, I could not find a specific species. The closest I found was gasteracantha sanguinolenta mangrovae, but that is a Madagascar spider, so for now I will have to be satisfied with the family name. I will do more searching later today.

There are 69 species of this spider distributed worldwide, indicating that it is an ancient form, roaming the earth long before the break-up of the continents, when the land was called Pangaea.

I don't really know what the spines are all about, as they serve no function other than to look rather inedible to its predators. They are obviously very effective by the fact that evolution has kept the spines and even elongated them quite dramatically on some species. I haven't found one yet, but always on the lookout.

Dave