Cyclosa argentata

Cyclosa argentata
female from Hong Kong
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Araneidae
Genus: Cyclosa
Species:
C. argentata
Binomial name
Cyclosa argentata
Tanikawa & Ono, 1993

Cyclosa argentata is a species of spider in the family Araneidae (orb weavers). It was first described from Taiwan.[1]

Distribution

C. argentata has been recorded from Taiwan, where the holotype was collected from Kueishan at 120 m elevation in Ilan Hsien.[2] There are observations from Hong Kong and up to Shanghai.[3]

Description

Cyclosa argentata is a small orb weaver with distinctive coloration and morphological features. The species exhibits sexual size dimorphism, with measurements based on the female holotype.[2]

The body length of the holotype female measures 7.20 mm, with a carapace length of 1.84 mm and width of 1.46 mm. The abdomen measures 5.27 mm in length and 2.27 mm in width. The carapace is pale brown with a dark brown head region, while the thorax is marginated with dark brown markings. The abdomen appears silvery with distinctive black markings.[2]

The species can be distinguished from the similar Cyclosa ginnaga by differences in the shape of the epigyne.[2]

Etymology

The specific name argentata is derived from the silvery coloration of the abdomen.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Cyclosa argentata Tanikawa & Ono, 1993". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e Tanikawa, A.; Ono, H. (1993). "Spiders of the genus Cyclosa (Araneae, Araneidae) from Taiwan". Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science Tokyo (A). 19: 51–64.
  3. ^ "Cyclosa argentata". iNaturalist. Retrieved 3 September 2025.