CLOSED: Unusual (to me) Spider in need of ID

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EROCTUSE2 Belleville, MI(Zone 5b) Mar 23, 2009

I'd never seen anything like it until the year I took the images (2005) and I haven't seen them since. This one was found in my immediate back yard. There's another type (I assume), that I'll add next, that was in the woods on our property. Any help in IDing would be appreciated.

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EROCTUSE2 Belleville, MI(Zone 5b) Mar 23, 2009

Here's the other. Sorry for the back-lighting.

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claypa West Pottsgrove, PA(Zone 6b) Mar 23, 2009

They're orb weaving spiders in the genus Micrathena, probably Micrathena gracilis. I think they're both the same kind of spider.

http://www.museum.state.il.us/ismdepts/zoology/spiders/gallery.html?RollID=roll01&FrameID=gracilis

http://bugguide.net/node/view/1996

http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/showimage/7240/

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EROCTUSE2 Belleville, MI(Zone 5b) Mar 23, 2009

Yes, I believe you're right. they don't seem to match the M. mitrata or M. sagittata. They're all new to me, but M. gracilis certainly matches both (though all the photos I can find show much more white than the first).

Thank-you!

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woombleshamba Vancouver, Canada Mar 23, 2009

wow, I'm glad you had a camera handy when you found that one! :)

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