Leucauge argyra
| Leucauge argyra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Suborder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Tetragnathidae |
| Genus: | Leucauge |
| Species: | L. argyra |
| Binomial name | |
| Leucauge argyra (Walckenaer, 1842) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Leucauge argyra is a spider and is known for being the host of the Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga, a Costa Rican or Puertorrican parasitoid wasp.[1] It is found from the United States to Brazil. Leucauge argyra (and many other Leucauge spp.) is known to be a colonial species, with spiders maintaining individual territories/orb webs within a scaffolding of shared support lines maintained by the group. Colonies of multi-generational individuals are often seen with some levels of size stratification (where larger individuals/adults occupy the highest web positions and smaller individuals/juveniles occupy lower web positions). [2]
Description
L.argyra has three lines on the abdomen that run parallel only about halfway across the abdomen, where the outer two bend inward before continuing parallel again through the rest of the abdomen. These markings can be somewhat variable, and different from L.venusta, where the abdomen has inverted V-markings on the abdomen.[3]
Gallery
L.argyra in web
References
- ↑ Eberhard 2001
- ↑ http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v38_n3/arac-38-03-446.pdf
- ↑ Walckneaer 1842
- Platnick, Norman I. (2009): The world spider catalog, version 9.5. American Museum of Natural History.
- Eberhard, W. 2001. Under the influence: Webs and building behavior of plesiometa argyra (ARANEAE, TETRAGNATHIDAE) when parasitized by hymenoepimecis argyraphaga (HYMENOPTERA, ICHNEUMONIDAE). The Journal of Arachnology 29:354–366.
- Walckenaer, C. A. 1842. Histoire naturelle des Insects. Aptères. Paris, 2:1-549.