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Araneus cavaticus

Araneus cavaticus

9.9
An orange and tan spider with dark banded legs that spins a round web in barns
  • noun
  • /əˈreɪniəs kəˈvætɪkəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Araneus cavaticus
  • The Araneus cavaticus is often found spinning its web in barns during late summer.

Examples

  • The Araneus cavaticus spins intricate webs in the corners of barns.

  • Farmers appreciate the presence of Araneus cavaticus because it helps control flying insect populations.

  • Many children recognize the Araneus cavaticus as Charlotte from the famous novel 'Charlotte's Web'.

  • Have you ever seen an Araneus cavaticus up close?

  • The Araneus cavaticus is known for its ability to spin a large, intricate orb web that is often found in barns.

  • During late summer, you might see an Araneus cavaticus delicately weaving its web in a cozy barn corner.

  • Farmers value the Araneus cavaticus for its role in controlling pests by catching flies in its strong webs.

Synonyms

barn spider
vsAraneus cavaticus
5.5

A large orange and tan spider often found in barns that makes a new round web each day

is the scientific name used in formal classification for the same species

Surface Forms

Morphology

Araneus + cavaticus

This is a Latin scientific name (a taxonomic binomial) rather than a compositional English phrase; even if a learner knew 'Araneus' means a genus of orb-weaving spiders and somehow knew 'cavaticus' is a Latin epithet, the common name 'barn spider' and the descriptive sense are not transparently derivable. Taxonomic proper names and specialist Latin epithets are non-compositional for a B1 learner and require specific biological knowledge, so the expression is opaque.

Etymology

Araneus cavaticus is an orange-tan spider often called the 'barn spider' because it lives in barns and spins round webs there to catch insects. This simple image of a spider in a barn making a round web explains the name and why people often think of 'Charlotte's Web'.