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Mecynogea lemniscata
Basilica Orbweaver
Florida native
Found in forest understories and bushes throughout most of Florida and the southeastern states north into Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut, and west into Texas. The rang eincludes Mexico, Central America, Brazil and Argentina.
The bodies of males are 4-6.6mm (3/16 to 1/4 in.) long, females 6-13mm (1/4 to 1/2 in.). Eggsacks are spherical and hang from threads, with multiple eggsacks often stuck together in series.
The species name is derived from Latin for hanging ribbons, apparently referring to the placement of the eggsacks. The common name is from the habit of females to pull the center of the snare web up to form a dome shape.
Mecynogea lemniscata is a member of the Araneidae - Orb-weavers family.
For more information on this species, visit the following link:
Bugguide.net page for this species
Date record last modified: Feb 01, 2023
