Cyclosa species

Fact Box Species: Cyclosa insulana (RM) or Cyclosa trilobata (JS) (the correct name for this spider and whether C. insulana and C. trilobata are actually different species remains uncertain) Family: Araneidae formerly Argiopidae Body length: female: 9 mm male: 5 mm Habitat: In a small circular orb web in low shrubs; the centre of the web usually has several loops of silk that is coarser than the outer regions Toxicity: This spider may be too small to cause illness in humans but should still be treated with caution

In its web Oblique view Another specimen Its debris string Another female Its egg sac Its web The male

The three-pronged tail is a characteristic of several Cyclosa species but is variable in appearance between species and even within the same species. The same variability is seen in the spiders' surface markings. The male has distinct differences in appearance when compared with the female.

Cyclosa species typically build a web with a central component of heavy zigzag silk but there may also (or alternatively) be a string of insect debris stretched across the web.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: Cyclosa species.