Riparian Duncecap Orbweaver
Eustala cepina
This record describes Eustala cepina (species). Recorded family: Araneidae. Recorded order: Araneae.
Identification and Appearance
Eustala cepina is a species of orb weaver in the family of spiders known as Araneidae. It is found in North America.
Identification notes
Palp Epigynum
Wikipedia reference for Eustala cepina: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustala cepina.
Classification
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Nova Scotia south to Florida and west to Minnesota, Colorado and Texas (south into Mexico)
About Spiders: the wider group
Order-level background for Araneae, the group containing Eustala cepina. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
As of 2023, 51,673 spider species in 136 families have been recorded, though an estimated 150,000 species exist. Spiders rank 7th in total species diversity among all organism orders. Only 0.5% of spider species pose any risk to human health.
Ecological role of the group
Spider venom contains complex peptides with diverse pharmacological activities, making them valuable for drug development research. Spiders produce up to 7 types of silk from specialized glands. Spider silk genes have been inserted into mammals and plants for biotech applications.
Economic and practical significance of the group
The global spider community kills an estimated 400-800 million tons of prey annually (2017 study). Spiders provide billions of dollars in natural pest control for agriculture. Spider silk is 5× stronger than steel of the same diameter, driving a biomaterials research industry.
Recorded sources for this group: World Spider Catalog, PNAS, Nature, ScienceDirect. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Riparian Duncecap Orbweaver (6)
Photo credits: (c) Jason M Crockwell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Jason M Crockwell | (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY) | (c) Jesse Christopherson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA) | (c) Meghan Cassidy, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Meghan Cassidy | James Henry Emerton (1847 – 1931), no known copyright restrictions (public domain) | Contributed by tom murray; Additional contributions by cheins
Frequently Asked Questions About Riparian Duncecap Orbweaver
What is Riparian Duncecap Orbweaver?
Riparian Duncecap Orbweaver (Eustala cepina) is a species in the family Araneidae, within the order Araneae.
How do you identify Riparian Duncecap Orbweaver?
Palp Epigynum
Where is Riparian Duncecap Orbweaver found?
Range: Nova Scotia south to Florida and west to Minnesota, Colorado and Texas (south into Mexico)