Spiny Orbweavers (Gasteracantha) and Kin's Journal

Gasteracantha signifera is a stunning black-and-red species from the Solomon Islands, and @devonderaad recently uploaded the first two iNaturalist records of the species:

• https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/27789536
• https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/27852968

There are very few photographs of this species available on the internet, and up until now none have been properly identified. Here are a few examples identified only as Gasteracantha sp.:

• https://www.mindenpictures.com/gallery/preview/23/1383/716/0/spiked-spider-gasteracantha-sp-their-abdomen-or-opisthosoma-is-heavily/0_00298206.html
• https://www.flickr.com/photos/artour_a/29614523086
• https://www.alamy.com/stock-image-spiked-spider-or-spine-spider-gasteracantha-sp-in-solomon-island-162396007.html

The Solomon Islands has other spectacular Gasteracantha species not yet recorded on iNaturalist (like G. scintillans), and so does neighboring Vanuatu. Keep your eyes open, and thanks to @devonderaad for sharing G. signifera with the community!

Final update: GREAT work everybody -- in July we managed to get approximately 120 observations of G. cancriformis across the Americas to Research Grade! And we learned a lot along the way. Thanks to @tigerbb @claggy @wildcarrot @thebals @michelotto @jgw_atx and others who contributed!

*** Update: Any of you G. cancriformis fans up for some weekend IDing? @tigerbb @claggy @wildcarrot @thebals @michelotto? :) ***

There are currently about 150 Gasteracantha observations from across the Americas in iNaturalist that have not yet attained Research Grade for various reasons.

Here's a link to view and ID them: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?taxon_id=49541&place_id=66741

Can we get at least 100 of them identified during the month of July?

Currently, only one species (Gasteracantha cancriformis) is considered to occur in the Americas, though this will likely change in the future when revisions to the genus are published. @claggy created an Observation Field to help track some of the more distinctive (and likely to be split) forms, so take advantage of that field as you go, and let Matt know if you need other values added to the field: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/spiny-orbweavers-gasteracantha-and-kin/journal/22949-new-observation-field-for-g-cancriformis-synonyms.

Many observers are confused by the color polymorphism of the G. cancriformis and will identify black-and-white individuals as the Asian G. kuhli, for example, or red and orange forms as various other species from Asia.

Some observations are not identifiable -- the pictures are too low-quality, etc. But many are -- let's see how many we can get confirmed. There are all kinds of weird and beautiful forms across the Americas -- check them out and have fun!

Here's the link again: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?taxon_id=49541&place_id=66741

P.S. Note that both G. cancriformis and Thelacantha brevispina have been introduced into Hawaii. Their convoluted nomenclatural history has resulted in some lingering confusion, but adult females are easily identifiable. I'm not sure about egg cases, however -- if anyone has insight there, that'd be great.