Acacesia

{{Short description|Genus of spiders}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = | image = Acacesia.cornigera.-.tanikawa.jpg | image_caption = ''Acacesia tenella'' | image2 = Orbweaver - Acacesia hamata, Julie Metz Wetlands, Woodbridge, Virginia.jpg | image2_caption = ''Acacesia hamata'' | taxon = Acacesia | authority = Simon, 1895<ref name=wsc /> | type_species = ''Epeira hamata'' | type_species_authority = (Hentz, 1847) | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = 6, see text | range_map = }}

'''''Acacesia''''' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895.<ref name=Simo1895 /> It contains six species with a mostly neotropical distribution, ranging from South America to Mexico. One species, ''A. hamata'', is found in the US as well.

==Description== The backs of spiders in this genus are marked with a dagger shape, outlined in black and surrounded by a triangular folium. On each side of the dagger there are parallel rows of orange-brown dots. Body length of females ranges from {{convert|4.3|to|8|mm}}, of males from {{convert|3.6|to|6.5|mm}}<ref name=glueck />

==Behavior== As the other species are only known from museum specimens, only the natural history ''A. hamata'' is known in any detail.<ref name=glueck /><ref name=levi />

==Relationships== ''Ocrepeira'' and ''Cyclosa'' are close relatives of this genus.<ref name=glueck />

==Species== {{as of|2026|1}}, this genus includes six species:<ref name="wsc" /> {{Div col}} * ''Acacesia benigna'' Glueck, 1994 – Peru, Bolivia, Brazil * ''Acacesia graciosa'' Lise & Braul, 1996 – Brazil * ''Acacesia hamata'' (Hentz, 1847) – USA to Argentina * ''Acacesia tenella'' (L. Koch, 1871) – Mexico to Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana * ''Acacesia villalobosi'' Glueck, 1994 – Brazil * ''Acacesia yacuiensis'' Glueck, 1994 – Brazil, Argentina {{Div col end}}

==References== <references> <ref name="wsc">{{cite web | url=https://wsc.nmbe.ch/lsid/urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:00437 | title=Gen. Simon, 1895 | publisher=World Spider Catalog | doi=10.24436/2 | accessdate=2026-01-26}}</ref> <ref name="glueck">{{cite journal| last=Glueck| first=Susan| year=1994| title=A Taxonomic Revision of the Orb Weaver Genus ''Acacesia'' (Araneae: Araneidae)| journal=Psyche: A Journal of Entomology| volume=101| issue=1–2| pages=59–84| doi=10.1155/1994/34645| doi-access=free}}</ref> <ref name="levi">{{cite journal| last=Levi| first=Herbert W.| year=1976| title=The Orb-weaver Genera ''Verrucosa'', ''Acanthepeira'', ''Wagneriana'', ''Acacesia'', ''Wixia'', ''Scoloderus'' and ''Alpaida'' North of Mexico (Araneae: Araneidae)| journal=Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology| volume=147| issue=8| pages=351–391}}</ref> <ref name="Simo1895">{{cite book| last=Simon| first=E.| year=1895| title=Histoire naturelle des araignées| doi=10.5962/bhl.title.51973}}</ref> </references>

==External links== * {{inaturalist taxon}}

* BugGuide: [http://bugguide.net/node/view/1980/bgpage Photographs of ''A. hamata'']

Category:Araneidae genera Category:Spiders of the United States Category:Spiders of Mexico Category:Spiders of South America Category:Taxa named by Eugène Simon