Araneus gemma
species of arachnid
Araneus gemma, commonly known as the cat-faced spider (a name shared with Araneus gemmoides) or jeweled orbweaver spider, is a common outdoor orb-weaver spider found in the western United States and Canada.
Like most Araneus species, A. gemma is harmless to humans. It contains a venomous toxin of low molecular weight called argiotoxin, that antagonizes the actions of the neurotransmitter glutamate. Dopamine was also identified in the venom of A. gemma in a concentration of 4.3 nM.
The web silk of the A. gemma ranges from 1 to 4 μm in diameter.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Araneus gemma” is species of arachnid. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Araneus, gemma and species, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “species of arachnid” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 4, 2023. The linked authority identifier is Q2190160. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Araneus gemma” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.