Gea heptagon

I'm excited to bring you some photos of a beautiful spider named Gea heptagon. This species of Gea is the only one found in the US, and is considered a southern spider, though its range extends across the country.

You will usually see females, and they are the more recognizable sex. The species name refers to the dark seven-sided mark (in shape like an arrowhead) on the back of the female abdomen. The mark varies in color from dark brown/black to reddish brown. The abdomen also has three pairs of gray bumps or horns. An orbweaver, G. heptagon builds its web in the vertical plane.

Specimen #1:
Web suspended between stalks of Phlox

The spider molted recently. You'll see her discarded exoskeleton hanging in the web.

Specimen #2:
Web suspended between leaves of a shrub

This spider's mark is black.

References:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/38515 (Gea heptagon)
http://bugguide.net/node/view/2002 (Gea)
http://www.museum.state.il.us/ismdepts/zoology/spiders/gallery.html?RollID=roll01&FrameID=heptagon (Illinois Spider Collection)
http://eol.org/pages/1195356/overview (Gea heptagon)
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/spiders/orbweavers/orb.htm#gea (female vs. male)
http://www.spiderzrule.com/gea.htm
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/1969/094162/abs/ (article on Color Change and Life History of this species)