棘蛛屬

Family: Araneidae
Genus: Gasteracantha

An extraordinary spider group. These spiny spiders scientific name is Gasteracantha.

Spiny orb-weavers is a common name for Gasteracantha genus of spiders. They are also commonly called Spiny-backed orb-weavers, due to the prominent spines on their abdomen. These spiders can reach sizes of up to 30mm in diameter (measured from spike to spike).

Although their shell is shaped like a crab shell with spikes, it is not to be confused with a crab spider.

Genus Gasteracantha include 69 species :

Gasteracantha crucigera Bradley, 1877 — Malaysia, Borneo, New Guinea
Gasteracantha diardi (Lucas, 1835) — China, Thailand, Borneo, Sunda
Gasteracantha doriae Simon, 1877 — Singapore, Sumatra, Borneo
Gasteracantha frontata Blackwall, 1864 — India, Myanmar, Thailand, Flores, Borneo
Gasteracantha mengei Keyserling, 1864 — Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo
Gasteracantha sturi (Doleschall, 1857) — Laos, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Moluccas
Gasteracantha subaequispina Dahl, 1914 — Borneo, New Guinea
Gasteracantha cuspidata C. L. Koch, 1837 — Malaysia, Nicobar Islands, Java

 

 

Gasteracantha crucigera

Gasteracantha hasseltii

Singapore

Gasteracantha fornicata

12-4-2006 MEROTAI

Gasteracantha fornicata

Female 17.5mm width measured from spike to spike

12-7-2009 GUDANG 4

Gasteracantha cancriformis

乳頭棘蛛(黑色型)
體長6-11mm

Gasteracantha arcuata

the most famous spiny crab orbweaver from Borneo

Gasteracantha sp Balung

13-5-2006 BALUNG

Gasteracantha cancriformis

乳頭棘蛛(變異)
體長6-11mm