Anti-predator
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Cyclosa turbinata
Humped Trashline Orbweaver, Trashline Orbweaver
Cyclosa turbinata is a small orb-weaving spider (Araneidae) known for its distinctive 'trashline' web decoration, where the spider arranges debris, prey carcasses, and egg sacs in a vertical line through the web hub to camouflage itself from visual predators. Females possess two anterior dorsal humps on the abdomen, distinguishing them from the similar C. conica. The species exhibits an exceptionally short-period circadian clock of approximately 19 hours, regulating its locomotor and web-building activities. Native to North and Central America, it has been introduced to Hawaii and other regions, with spiderlings dispersing via wind-borne silk (ballooning).