Circum-caribbean
Guides
Eriophora ravilla
Tropical Orbweaver, tropical orb weaver
Eriophora ravilla, commonly known as the tropical orb weaver, is a strictly nocturnal spider in the family Araneidae. Unlike many orb weavers that are active during the day, this species hides in curled leaves during daylight hours and emerges at night to construct large webs up to 1 meter wide, which it consumes by morning. The species is distributed across the circum-Caribbean region from the southern United States through Central America to Brazil.
Hemisphaerota
Hemisphaerota is a genus of tortoise beetles in the subfamily Cassidinae, containing approximately 10 described species distributed across the circum-Caribbean region. The genus is characterized by hemispherical body shape and specialized tarsal structures for adhesion to host plant surfaces. The best-studied species, H. cyanea (palmetto tortoise beetle), exhibits remarkable defensive adaptations including adhesive tarsal pads that secrete oil when threatened, and larvae that construct protective fecal thatches.