Spiders belong to the class Arachnida, which contains organisms with four pairs of legs, no antennae and
two body regions. A shield-like carapace covers the head
and the area from which the legs arise. Their mouthparts,
or chelicerae, function vertically.
Jumping spiders. The jumping spiders belong to the
family Salticidae and are sometimes called salticids. All species are small, usually less than 15mm long. They are
easily identified by their eye arrangement, which is in
three rows. Jumping spiders do not construct webs, but
actively hunt prey during the day, pouncing on their
luckless victims. Many are brightly colored, sometimes
with iridescent chelicerae as in the genus Phidippus.
Crab spiders. Crab spiders are so named because
they hold their legs to the side in a crab-like fashion. They
commonly are 5mm to 10mm long. These spiders do not
spin webs, but wait in ambush on flowers and foliage for
their insect prey. Crab spiders such as Misumenoides spp. are often extremely well-camouflaged, blending in perfectly with the flowers they live among.
Golden silk spider, Nephila clavipes. The golden
silk spider is found throughout Florida and the southeastern United States. The female is distinctively colored, and
is among the largest orb-weaving spiders in the country.
The female is 25mm to 40mm long and has conspicuous
hair tufts on her long legs. Males are about 4 mm to 6 mm
long, dark-brown, and are often found in the webs of
females. These spiders feed primarily on flying insects,
which they catch in webs that may be greater than a meter
in diameter. They are most commonly found in forests,
along trails and at clearing edges.
Spiny orb-weaver, Gasteracantha cancriformis.
The spiny orb-weaver spider is one of the most colorful
and easily recognized spiders in Florida. The dorsum of
the abdomen is usually white with black spots and large
red spines onthemargin. Females are 5mm to 10mm long
and 10mm to 14 mm wide. The webs typically contain silk
tufts, which may prevent birds from flying into them.
Black and yellow argiope spider, Argiope aurantia
Tile argiope spiders are a large and distinctive group.
Their large, conspicuous webs can often be seen along the
edge of woodlands. The black and yellow argiope can
reach a length of 25mm. Its characteristic silver carapace
and yellow-and-black markings make it easy to identify.
Argiope spiders tend to hang head down in the middle of
a medium-sized web that has thickened, zigzag bands of
silk in the center.
Green lynx spider, Peucetia viridans. This spider is
commonly found on shrubs, weeds and foliage. The
female is 12mm to 20mm long, while the male seldom
gets larger than 12mm. The body is a vivid, almost
transparent green, with red spots and some white markings. The legs are long, slender and covered at intervals
with long black spines. These spiders have good eyesight
and hunt and stalk their prey during the day. They spin no
webs but sometimes anchor themselves with silk. They
are important predators of caterpillar pests of row crops.
Wolf spiders. Wolf spiders belong to the family
Lycosidae. They are very common and usually found on
the ground, where they are well-camouflaged. The Carolina wolf spider (Lycosa carolinensis), at 25mm to 35mm, is the largest in the United States. These spiders do
not spin webs but some dig burrows or hide under debris.
Like other hunting spiders, they have good eyesight and
are sensitive to vibrations.
Long-jawed orb-weavers, genus Tetragnatha.
These spiders characteristically cling to a support with
their short third pair of legs while holding their remaining,
much longer, legs extended in front of and behind the
body. They spin small webs that are 8'' to 12" in diameter
and catch small flying insects. They are often found in
association with foliage bordering water.
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