google-play-not-available-title

google-play-not-available-text

Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Araneidae
Nuctenea
Nuctenea umbratica

Walnut Orbweaver

Nuctenea umbratica
Nuctenea umbratica
Mobile App
An insect specialist
right in your pocket
Download from AppStoreDownload from GooglePlayDownload from AppStore
Download from AppStore

Summary

Nuctenea umbratica, the walnut orb-weaver spider, is a species of spider in the family Araneidae.

Walnut Orbweaver

Nuctenea umbratica

Is Walnut Orbweaver harmful?

There is no data about harmful of this species. Don't forget to be careful.

Sientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Araneidae
Genus: Nuctenea

Name

The species name umbratica means "living in the shadows" in Latin.

Description

The walnut orb-weaver spider is very wide and flattened, with a leathery skin. Its color ranges from red brown and grey brown to black with a dark, yellowish to yellow-greenish leaf-like fleckled marking on its opisthosoma, where small dents are visible. These are the onsets of muscles that flatten the abdomen. Female N. umbratica can reach up to 15 mm in size, the males grow only up to 8 mm. The spider hides during the day outside of buildings in wall crevices, or under loose bark. They are very common in Central Europe; females occur all year long, while males appear mostly during summer. This spider has a flattened body, helping it to secrete itself in cracks and crevices. Walnut orb-weaving spiders are capable of concealing themselves in very confined spaces. This tends to act as a defensive advantage and increases the number of locations an orb-web can be effectively constructed. In the evening the spider constructs an orb-web that can be up to 70 cm in diameter. A signaling thread leads from the web to her hiding place. After dusk she sits in the web's center.

DescriptionDescription

Distribution and subspecies

- Nuctenea umbratica (Clerck, 1757) – Europe to Azerbaijan - Nuctenea umbratica nigricans (Franganillo, 1909) – Portugal - Nuctenea umbratica obscura (Franganillo, 1909) – Portugal