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Spinybacked Orbweaver (Gasteracantha cancriformis) Report and Photograph Courtesy of Kathleen W., Houston, Texas, June 1, 2007 Additional Notes by Jerry Cates
Kathleen Wrote: Dear Mr. Cates-- I am sending you a picture of a spinybacked orbweaver that I hope you will find useful. I took this photo on Sunday, the 27th of May, at about six in the evening, at a home near Briar Forest & Dairy Ashford in Houston, Texas. The spider was sitting in the center of its web, which was located on some low branches of a magnolia tree, about six feet off the ground. You have my permission to use this photo on your website, or in any other way you find useful. Sincerely, Kathleen W.
My Reply: Kathleen---Beautiful photo! I will try to put it on the Internet this weekend. I'll bet you have other spiders around to photograph, too... hint, hint...I try to take advantage of a really good photographer when I find one---Jerry Additional Notes Kathleen's original photo was of sufficient resolution to allow it to be enlarged without losing detail. The original photo shows why this spider is called an orbweaver. An orb web is one that is built on a plane, with radiating scaffold strands on which are wound a spiral strand that originates at the center and extends to the outer edges of the web. Most orb webs are built on the vertical plane, to capture flying insects that travel horizontally through the air. Another spinybacked orbweaver, photographed by Lorraine E. in College Station, Texas in 2006, with the same coloration as Kathleen's specimen. Elsewhere, this species often presents with a white or yellow colored abdomen sporting black or red spikes.
It turned out that Kathleen did have other spider photos to share. She sent them, and they are destined for the web, right away. Many thanks to her for being a good, attentive, and proficient photographer. ---------------------------------------------- We are investigating the risk of secondary infections that may occur as a result of bites from this and other, otherwise harmless spiders whose venom is known to pose little or no danger to humans. In the process, we are collecting information on experiences persons have had with such spider bites. Please contact us about your personal experiences, if you have been bitten by this or any other spider, including jumping spiders and garden spiders (the bites of which typically produce a transitory inflammation, but resolve within a few days without medical attention), whether recently or in the past thirty years, anywhere in the world. For example, the bite of a species of garden spider, the golden orb spider of Australia [Nephila edulis] typically is unremarkable, but on occasion produces medically significant secondary infections; the frequency and nature of bites experienced from that species of spider is also a part of this study. The object of this study is to collect data that might relate to a mysterious series of spider-related infections, involving a special pathogen, that took place in the United States and in Australia between 1977 and 2006. Although only fifteen such infections were reported to medical establishments, seven appear to be associated with spider bites. Some authorities suggest that the number of actual infections of this type that occurred in the U.S. and Australia during the past thirty years is much larger, but that they have been underreported. Underreporting of specific kinds of infections can occur, either because the persons infected chose not to seek medical assistance, or the medical establishments misdiagnosed the infections as being caused by other infectious agents. We are seeking to establish an estimate of the number of human spider bites that occur each year by these and similar spiders, whether the bite resulted in injury to the human or not. Next, we hope to establish the number of instances where the bite (1) became inflamed and/or infected, then resolved without medical intervention, or (2) infected, ulcerated, or led to a generalized sickness, and required medical intervention. ---------------------------------------------- Back to: Texas Spiders Back to: Bugsinthenews |
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