Image Credit: Elizabeth and Desmond L. taken in Pinery Provincial Park, Grand Bend, ON
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Image Credit: Elizabeth and Desmond L. taken in Pinery Provincial Park, Grand Bend, ON
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Image Credit: David B. taken in MI
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Image Credit: Kaleena C. from Streetsboro, OH
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Image Credit: Elizabeth/Jade S. taken in Fultonville, NY
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Image Credit: Brandy L.
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Image Credit: Brandy L.
The Shamrock Spider may not be green, but gardens are lucky to have these hairy little gems.
The bold black and white legs of the Shamrock Spider lend this species are a given. The rest of the spider's colors vary per individual. The bulbous abdomen may be light white, yellow, bright red, or even purple. Some of the white speckles on the abdomen follow along the midline.
As an Orb Weaver, the Shamrock Spider creates a new web every day. In the early morning, it eats the strands of its old web first and then rebuilds another, usually in the same place. This is one of the better times of day to see them in action. Orb Weavers tend to sit up-side down in the center of their web, but this species may actually hide in leaves nearby. It attaches a single thread to its hideout so it senses any movement made by an ensnared insect.
Females lay fertilized eggs in a sac spun from spider silk in autumn. The eggs overwinter and spiderlings wait to hatch until warmer spring weather returns. Once they emerge, they disperse and create their own webs and hideouts. Spiders reside in tall shrubs or grasses in woodlands or near water creeks, marshes, and streams. They may also be found in parks and gardens, where they help reduce the number of pest insects.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Arachnida
Order:Araneae
Family:Araneidae
Genus:Araneus
Species:trifolium
Identifying Information
Scientific Name: Araneus trifolium
Category:
Spider
Size (Adult; Length): 4mm to 20mm (0.16in to 0.78in)
Note: An insect's reach is not limited by lines drawn on a map and therefore species may appear in areas, regions and/or states beyond those listed above as they are driven by environmental factors (such as climate change), available food supplies and mating patterns. Grayed-out selections indicate that the subject in question has not been reported in that particular territory. U.S. states and Canadian provinces / territories are clickable to their respective bug listings.
Spider Anatomy
1
Legs: Spiders have four pairs of legs and these are attached to the cephalothorax.
2
Pedipalps: Small appendages near the mouth used as taste and smell organs.
3
Cephalothorax: Contains eyes, head, mouthparts, and legs.
4
Abdomen: Contains various organs related to digestion, reproduction, and web-making.
5
Spinnerets: Used in the production of spider silk for fashioning webs or catching prey.
NOTE: Unlike insects, spiders have both an endoskeleton (internal) and exoskeleton (external).
Colors: black, white, yellow, gray, purple
