Bug of the Week - December 5, 2012

Here's your insect identification challenge for the week. See if you can identify it to family, at least. Bonus points for naming the species! I'll post the answer next Wednesday, so be sure to check back then.

Last week's challenge was a spined orbweaver, genus Micrathena for certain. Bugwood, the source of the photo, had this image labelled as Micrathena sagittata, but I think that identification is incorrect. Using the notes on several Micrathena species provided by Dr. Art Evans in his NWF Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America, I believe this image is actually Micrathena gracilis. Moni also identified it as Micrathena gracilis - well done.

_{Photo: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org}