Need spider ID

[Vanan]

Hey guys! Thought I'd check with the pro's if anyone knew which Araneus sp. this fatty is. Found her outside my kitchen window up here in southwestern Saskatchewan. The closest I could think of was Araneus nordmanni. But then pattern seems a lil off, even thought that is a highly variable species. Takers anyone?

Pic without flash.

Pic with flash.

I can take more pics showing more anatomical features if necessary. I would just like to know what I find, instead of dismissing it as "just an orb weaver". Thanks in advance guys!

 

[Malhavoc's]

Its a nice looking beast?? Sorry I'm of no help..

 

[mactans]

Interesting looking spider, though I can't ID it either.

 

[jsloan]

Hey guys! Thought I'd check with the pro's if anyone knew which Araneus sp. this fatty is. Found her outside my kitchen window up here in southwestern Saskatchewan. The closest I could think of was Araneus nordmanni. But then pattern seems a lil off, even thought that is a highly variable species. Takers anyone?

I can take more pics showing more anatomical features if necessary. I would just like to know what I find, instead of dismissing it as "just an orb weaver". Thanks in advance guys!

Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to identify many of the Araneus spiders to species based only on pictures. Even within species there are variations in color patterns. You really have to look at the epigynum under a microscope to know for sure. This also looks like it might be Araneus saevus, for example, which can have similar abdominal patterns to those seen in your picture.

If you have a microscope and want to indentify Canadian Orb Weavers an excellent resource is book 23 of "The Insects and Arachnids of Canada" series: The Orb-Weaving Spiders of Canada and Alaska, by Dondale, Redner, Paquin and Levi. It includes descriptions, with palp and epigynum drawings of all known species in Canada, with distribution maps, etc. Very handy to have.

You can get order it online from the National Research Council of Canada at:

http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/rp/rp2_book_e?mlist3_494

That said, you have a beautiful spider there!

 

[Vanan]

Thanks for the info jsloan! Yea I figured the pic alone wouldn't be enough. Will take a closer look at the epigynum. That book seems like a book to have! Thanks once again!!

 

[NRF]

Hej,

I tried to contact you personally before because I wondered if you had any luck in identifying the spider by its epigyne. It´s a nice looking fellow and it would be nice to know what it is.

Please tell us! :}

 

[NRF]

I finally found a spider looking exactly like this: Araneus gemmoides.
http://bugguide.net/images/raw/IHTH...H9HYHEHHRUHUZMLLRGLVZWHOHWH3HPH3HUHYHIH6Z.jpg