''Cyclosa'', also called trashline orbweavers, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of orb-weaver spiders first described by

Anton Menge Franz Anton Menge (15 February 1808 in Arnsberg – 27 January 1880 in Danzig) was a German entomologist. Menge was a student of Physics, Chemistry and Natural History at the University of Bonn He became professor at the Petrischule in Danzig ...

in 1866. Widely distributed worldwide, spiders of the genus ''Cyclosa'' build relatively small orb webs with a

web decoration A stabilimentum (plural: stabilimenta), also known as a web decoration, is a conspicuous silk structure included in the webs of some species of orb-web spider. Its function is a subject of debate. Origin It is likely that the use of stabiliment ...

. The web decoration in ''Cyclosa'' spiders is often linear and includes prey remains and other debris, which probably serve to camouflage the spider. The name "Cyclosa" comes from Greek 'to move in a circle', referring to how it spins its web. While most orb-web spiders face downwards in their web when waiting for prey, some ''Cyclosa'' species (e.g. ''C. ginnaga'' and ''C. argenteoalba'') face upwards.

Notable members

''Cyclosa argenteoalba''

Cyclosa argenteoalba ''Cyclosa argenteoalba'', in the trashline orbweavers genus, is a species of orb weaver in the spider family Araneidae. It is found in East Asia in the countries of China, Japan, and Korea. ''C. argenteoalba'' are diurnal, which means they are ...

'' builds two types of web, a traditional sticky spider web, and a resting web that consists of just a few strands. When infected with a larva of the wasp ''

Reclinervellus nielseni ''Reclinervellus nielseni'' is one of the spider-ectoparasitoids belonging to the ''Polysphincta'' genus-group (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) and utilizes exclusively ''Cyclosa'' spiders (Araneae, Araneidae) as hosts. The species is dis ...

'', the spider switches on the behavior to build a resting web. The larva then eats the spider and uses the web to complete

metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some inse ...

''Cyclosa mulmeinensis''

'' C. mulmeinensis'', found on

Orchid Island Orchid Island, also known by other names, is a volcanic island off the southeastern coast of Taiwan Island. The island is part of Taiwan. It is separated from the Batanes of the Philippines by the Bashi Channel of the Luzon Strait. It is gove ...

off the southeast coast of

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

, makes web decorations similar in size and appearance to itself that act as decoys to distract predatory wasps.

''Cyclosa tremula''

One small species from

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

described under the

nomen dubium In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application. Zoology In case of a ''nomen dubium'' it may be impossible to determine whether a s ...

''C. tremula'' has a black and white pattern and rests in the center of an orb web with greyish "imitation spiders" it has created from prey remains. If the spider is disturbed, it vibrates its body, so that the black and white patches blur into grey, thus resembling the false spiders.

''Cyclosa turbinata''

'' C. turbinata'' are known for creating orb-shaped webs, which are webs that utilize both sticky and non-sticky threads, mostly during times of complete darkness. ''Cyclosa turbinata'' is unique in that across its spiral wheel-shaped web, it also creates the so-called "trashline" web, which is a line of various components such as prey carcasses, detritus, and, at times, egg cases. This trashline appears to hinder predators from visually locating the spider within its web.

Species

it contains 180 species: *'' C. alayoni'' Levi, 1999 – Cuba, Puerto Rico *'' C. alba'' Tanikawa, 1992 – Japan *'' C. albisternis'' Simon, 1888 – India (mainland, Andaman Is.). Introduced to Hawaii *'' C. albopunctata'' Kulczyński, 1901 – Africa, New Guinea, New Caledonia *'' C. algerica'' Simon, 1885 – Mediterranean *'' C. anatipes'' (Keyserling, 1887) – Australia (Queensland), Palau *'' C. andinas'' Levi, 1999 – Colombia, Ecuador *'' C. angusta'' Tanikawa, 1992 – Japan *'' C. apoblepta'' (Rainbow, 1916) – Australia (Queensland) *'' C. argentaria'' (Rainbow, 1916) – Australia (Queensland) *'' C. argentata'' Tanikawa & Ono, 1993 – Taiwan *'' C. argenteoalba'' Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 – China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Russia (Far East)? *'' C. atrata'' Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 – China, Korea, Japan, Russia (Far East)? *'' C. baakea'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines *'' C. bacilliformis'' Simon, 1908 – Australia (Western Australia) *'' C. banawensis'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines *'' C. berlandi'' Levi, 1999 – USA, Hispaniola to Ecuador *'' C. bianchoria'' Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990 – China *'' C. bifida'' (Doleschall, 1859) – India to Philippines, New Guinea *'' C. bifurcata'' (Walckenaer, 1841) – Costa Rica, Hispaniola to Argentina *'' C. bihamata'' Zhang, Zhang & Zhu, 2010 – China *'' C. bilobata'' Sen, Saha & Raychaudhuri, 2012 – India *'' C. bituberculata'' Biswas & Raychaudhuri, 1998 – Bangladesh *'' C. bulla'' Tanikawa & Petcharad, 2018 – Thailand, Singapore, Brunei *'' C. bulleri'' (Thorell, 1881) – New Guinea *'' C. cajamarca'' Levi, 1999 – Peru *'' C. caligata'' (Thorell, 1890) – Indonesia (Sumatra) *'' C. camargoi'' Levi, 1999 – Brazil *'' C. camelodes'' (Thorell, 1878) – Seychelles, New Guinea *'' C. caroli'' (Hentz, 1850) – USA, Caribbean to Bolivia *'' C. centrifaciens'' Hingston, 1927 – Myanmar *'' C. centrodes'' (Thorell, 1887) – India to Singapore *'' C. cephalodina'' Song & Liu, 1996 – China *'' C. chichawatniensis'' Mukhtar & Mushtaq, 2005 – Pakistan *'' C. circumlucens'' Simon, 1907 – Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe *'' C. concolor'' Caporiacco, 1933 – Libya *'' C. confraga'' (Thorell, 1892) – India, Bangladesh to Malaysia *'' C. confusa'' Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 – China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan *'' C. conica'' (Pallas, 1772) – North America, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Iran, Central Asia, China *'' C. conigera'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1904 – Mexico to Honduras *'' C. coylei'' Levi, 1999 – Mexico, Guatemala *'' C. cucurbitoria'' (Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990) – China, Thailand *'' C. cucurbitula'' Simon, 1900 – Hawaii *'' C. curiraba'' Levi, 1999 – Bolivia *'' C. cylindrata'' Yin, Zhu & Wang, 1995 – China *'' C. cylindrifaciens'' Hingston, 1927 – Myanmar *'' C. damingensis'' Xie, Yin & Kim, 1995 – China *'' C. deserticola'' Levy, 1998 – Egypt, Israel *'' C. dianasilvae'' Levi, 1999 – Ecuador, Peru *'' C. diversa'' (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1894) – Mexico, Cuba to Argentina *'' C. dives'' Simon, 1877 – China, Philippines *'' C. donking'' Levi, 1999 – Bolivia *'' C. dosbukolea'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines *'' C. durango'' Levi, 1999 – Mexico *'' C. elongata'' Biswas & Raychaudhuri, 1998 – Bangladesh *'' C. espumoso'' Levi, 1999 – Brazil *'' C. fililineata'' Hingston, 1932 – Panama to Argentina *'' C. formosa'' Karsch, 1879 – West Africa *'' C. formosana'' Tanikawa & Ono, 1993 – Taiwan *'' C. fuliginata'' (L. Koch, 1872) – Australia (New South Wales, Victoria) *'' C. ginnaga'' Yaginuma, 1959 – China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan *'' C. gossypiata'' Keswani, 2013 – India *'' C. groppalii'' Pesarini, 1998 – Spain (incl. Balearic Is.), Greece (Crete) *'' C. gulinensis'' Xie, Yin & Kim, 1995 – China *'' C. haiti'' Levi, 1999 – Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico (Mona Is.) *'' C. hamulata'' Tanikawa, 1992 – Russia (Far East), Japan *'' C. hexatuberculata'' Tikader, 1982 – India, Pakistan *'' C. hova'' Strand, 1907 – Madagascar *'' C. huila'' Levi, 1999 – Colombia *'' C. imias'' Levi, 1999 – Cuba *'' C. inca'' Levi, 1999 – Colombia to Argentina *'' C. informis'' Yin, Zhu & Wang, 1995 – China *'' C. insulana'' (Costa, 1834) – Mediterranean to Japan, India to Papua New Guinea, Australia *'' C. ipilea'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines *'' C. jalapa'' Levi, 1999 – Mexico *'' C. japonica'' Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 – Russia (Far East), China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan *'' C. jose'' Levi, 1999 – Costa Rica *'' C. kashmirica'' Caporiacco, 1934 – Karakorum *'' C. kibonotensis'' Tullgren, 1910 – Central, East Africa, Seychelles *'' C. koi'' Tanikawa & Ono, 1993 – Taiwan *'' C. krusa'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Pakistan, India, Philippines *'' C. kumadai'' Tanikawa, 1992 – Russia (Far East), Korea, Japan *'' C. laticauda'' Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 – China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan *'' C. lawrencei'' Caporiacco, 1949 – Kenya *'' C. libertad'' Levi, 1999 – Ecuador, Peru *'' C. lichensis'' (Rainbow, 1916) – Australia (Queensland) *'' C. litoralis'' (L. Koch, 1867) – Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti *'' C. longicauda'' (Taczanowski, 1878) – Colombia to Argentina *'' C. machadinho'' Levi, 1999 – Brazil, Argentina *'' C. maderiana'' Kulczyński, 1899 – Madeira, Canary Is. *'' C. maritima'' Tanikawa, 1992 – Japan *'' C. mavaca'' Levi, 1999 – Colombia, Venezuela *'' C. meruensis'' Tullgren, 1910 – East Africa *'' C. micula'' (Thorell, 1892) – India, Singapore *'' C. minora'' Yin, Zhu & Wang, 1995 – China *'' C. mocoa'' Levi, 1999 – Colombia *'' C. mohini'' Dyal, 1935 – Pakistan *'' C. monteverde'' Levi, 1999 – Costa Rica, Panama *'' C. monticola'' Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 – China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Russia (Far East)? *'' C. moonduensis'' Tikader, 1963 – India *'' C. morretes'' Levi, 1999 – Brazil *'' C. mulmeinensis'' (Thorell, 1887) – Asia (without Russia) *'' C. neilensis'' Tikader, 1977 – India (Andaman Is.) *'' C. nevada'' Levi, 1999 – Colombia *'' C. nigra'' Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990 – China, Vietnam *'' C. nodosa'' (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889) – Guatemala to Costa Rica *'' C. norihisai'' Tanikawa, 1992 – China, Japan *'' C. oatesi'' (Thorell, 1892) – India (Andaman Is.) *'' C. octotuberculata'' Karsch, 1879 – China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan *'' C. oculata'' (Walckenaer, 1802) – Europe, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Central Asia, China *'' C. odateana'' Kishida, 1915 – Japan *'' C. ojeda'' Levi, 1999 – Curaçao *'' C. okumae'' Tanikawa, 1992 – Russia (Far East), Korea, Japan *'' C. olivenca'' Levi, 1999 – Brazil *'' C. olorina'' Simon, 1900 – Hawaii *'' C. omonaga'' Tanikawa, 1992 – China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan *'' C. onoi'' Tanikawa, 1992 – China, Japan *'' C. oseret'' Levi, 1999 – Brazil *'' C. otsomarka'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines *'' C. pantanal'' Levi, 1999 – Brazil *'' C. parangdives'' Barrion, Barrion-Dupo & Heong, 2013 – China *'' C. parangmulmeinensis'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines *'' C. parangtarugoa'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines *'' C. paupercula'' Simon, 1893 – Borneo *'' C. pedropalo'' Levi, 1999 – Colombia *'' C. pellaxoides'' Roewer, 1955 – Singapore *'' C. pentatuberculata'' Yin, Zhu & Wang, 1995 – China *'' C. perkinsi'' Simon, 1900 – Hawaii *'' C. picchu'' Levi, 1999 – Peru *'' C. pichilinque'' Levi, 1999 – Mexico *'' C. poweri'' (Rainbow, 1916) – Australia (New South Wales) *'' C. pseudoculata'' Schenkel, 1936 – China *'' C. psylla'' (Thorell, 1887) – Myanmar, Japan *'' C. punctata'' Keyserling, 1879 – Brazil *'' C. punjabiensis'' Ghafoor & Beg, 2002 – Pakistan *'' C. purnai'' Keswani, 2013 – India *'' C. pusilla'' Simon, 1880 – New Caledonia *'' C. quinqueguttata'' (Thorell, 1881) – India, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Taiwan *'' C. reniformis'' Zhu, Lian & Chen, 2006 – China *'' C. rhombocephala'' (Thorell, 1881) – Australia (Queensland) *'' C. rostrata'' Zhou & Zhang, 2017 – China *'' C. rubronigra'' Caporiacco, 1947 – Costa Rica to Brazil *'' C. sachikoae'' Tanikawa, 1992 – Japan, China *'' C. saismarka'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Pakistan, Philippines *'' C. sanctibenedicti'' (Vinson, 1863) – Réunion *'' C. santafe'' Levi, 1999 – Colombia *'' C. sedeculata'' Karsch, 1879 – China, Korea, Japan *'' C. senticauda'' Zhu & Wang, 1994 – China *'' C. serena'' Levi, 1999 – Chile, Argentina *'' C. seriata'' (Thorell, 1881) – Indonesia (Java) *'' C. shinoharai'' Tanikawa & Ono, 1993 – Taiwan *'' C. sierrae'' Simon, 1870 – Southern Europe, Hungary, Ukraine, Turkey, Caucasus, Iran *'' C. simoni'' Tikader, 1982 – India *'' C. simplicicauda'' Simon, 1900 – Hawaii **'' Cyclosa s. rufescens'' Simon, 1900 – Hawaii *'' C. spirifera'' Simon, 1889 – India, Pakistan *'' C. tamanaco'' Levi, 1999 – Trinidad *'' C. tapetifaciens'' Hingston, 1932 – Panama to Argentina *'' C. tardipes'' (Thorell, 1895) – Myanmar **'' Cyclosa t. ignava'' (Thorell, 1895) – Myanmar *'' C. tauraai'' Berland, 1933 – French Polynesia (Marquesas Is., Society Is.) *'' C. teresa'' Levi, 1999 – Brazil *'' C. tricolor'' (Leardi, 1902) – Philippines *'' C. trilobata'' (Urquhart, 1885) – Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand *'' C. tripartita'' Tullgren, 1910 – East Africa *'' C. triquetra'' Simon, 1895 – Mexico, Caribbean to Peru *'' C. tropica'' Biswas & Raychaudhuri, 1998 – Bangladesh *'' C. tuberascens'' Simon, 1906 – India *'' C. turbinata'' (Walckenaer, 1841) – USA to Panama, West Indies, Galapagos Is. Introduced to Hawaii *'' C. turvo'' Levi, 1999 – Brazil *'' C. vallata'' (Keyserling, 1886) – China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Australia (Queensland) *'' C. vankhedensis'' Dhande, Bodkhe & Ahmad, 2017 – India *'' C. vicente'' Levi, 1999 – Colombia, Brazil, Argentina *'' C. vieirae'' Levi, 1999 – Peru, Brazil *'' C. walckenaeri'' (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889) – USA to Guyana, Caribbean *'' C. woyangchuan'' Zhang, Zhang & Zhu, 2010 – China *'' C. xanthomelas'' Simon, 1900 – Hawaii *'' C. yaginumai'' Biswas & Raychaudhuri, 1998 – Bangladesh *'' C. zhangmuensis'' Hu & Li, 1987 – China *'' C. zhui'' Zhou & Zhang, 2017 – China