''Micrathena sagittata'', also known as the arrow-shaped micrathena,
Retrieved 2020-08-31 is a species of

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

belonging to the family

Araneidae Orb-weaver spiders are members of the spider family Araneidae. They are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields, and forests. The English word "orb" can mean "circular", hence the English name ...

. It is found in the eastern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and throughout

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

. This is a striking spider with a distinctive arrow-shaped

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...

which is largely yellow, with black depressions above and variable red and black patterning below. There are 3 pairs of tubercles that are tipped with black and red at the base. The pair of tubercles at the back end of the abdomen are rather large and point outward, forming two corners of the triangular, arrow-shaped body. Females can grow up to in length (excluding legs), while males are smaller at . The males lack spines and are rarely seen. The genus name is derived from the Greek "micro," meaning "small," and the goddess

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...

. The species name ''sagittata'' is Latin meaning "arrowed, in the form of an arrow" referring to the shape of the abdomen.

References

General references

Araneidae Spiders described in 1841 Spiders of Central America Spiders of North America {{Araneidae-stub