•  
  •  
 

Faculty Mentor

Amy Keagy, EdD

Faculty Mentor Department

Department of Biology

Abstract

This scientific illustration depicts the spiny orb weaver spider (Gasteracantha cancriformis), a distinctive arachnid known for its characteristic hardened, spiny abdomen. Spiny orb weaver spiders enjoy warm, tropical, and subtropical environments and are primarily found in the Southeastern U.S., the Caribbean, and South America. They live in wooded areas, citrus groves, and shrubby gardens. I’ve encountered spiny orb weaver spiders in my food forest where they like to set up their orb-shaped webs and feast on flies, mosquitoes, and moths.

This scientific illustration depicts the spiny orb weaver spider (Gasteracantha cancriformis), a distinctive arachnid known for its characteristic hardened, spiny abdomen. Spiny orb weaver spiders enjoy warm, tropical, and subtropical environments and are primarily found in the Southeastern U.S., the Caribbean, and South America. They live in wooded areas, citrus groves, and shrubby gardens. I’ve encountered spiny orb weaver spiders in my food forest where they like to set up their orb-shaped webs and feast on flies, mosquitoes, and moths. I illustrated this spiny orb weaver using the stippling method. For references, I used several photographs of spiny orb weaver spiders I photographed during field observations at Lake Oneida, Jacksonville, FL. The detailed rendering highlights the abdominal projections (spines). Though this illustration is not in color, the spiny orb weaver depicted here had a white abdominal dorsum, black spots, and red spines.

I am a senior at the University of North Florida, majoring in biology and minoring in creative writing and public and professional writing. Spiders have always been some of my favorite animals, so I have been drawing them since early childhood. The spiny orb weaver is my favorite spider. It’s fascinating to observe them create their circular webs with white zigzag patterns across the middle of their webs.

Download

Share

COinS