Cotton's Amazon Spider
Glyphesis cottonae
Cotton's Amazon Spider (Glyphesis cottonae) is a large orb-weaver spider endemic to the upper Amazon Basin, characterized by its distinctive golden-brown carapace with intricate silver markings and leg span reaching up to 8 centimeters. This nocturnal predator constructs elaborate webs in the forest canopy, playing a crucial role in controlling flying insect populations and serving as prey for various birds and small mammals.
9
Countries
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Arachnida
Order
Araneae
Family
Linyphiidae
Genus
Glyphesis
Cotton's Amazon Spider belongs to the family Linyphiidae, order Araneae, within the Arachnida class.
Species Profile
Cotton's Amazon Spider (Glyphesis cottonae) is a large orb-weaver spider endemic to the upper Amazon Basin, characterized by its distinctive golden-brown carapace with intricate silver markings and leg span reaching up to 8 centimeters. This nocturnal predator constructs elaborate webs in the forest canopy, playing a crucial role in controlling flying insect populations and serving as prey for various birds and small mammals.
Cotton's Amazon Spider faces severe threats from rapid deforestation and habitat fragmentation in its limited range within the Amazon rainforest. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized habitat destruction from agricultural expansion, logging, and infrastructure development.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Cotton's Amazon Spider inhabits the upper canopy of primary rainforest between 15-25 meters above ground, specifically favoring areas with dense epiphyte coverage and consistent moisture levels. The species shows strong preference for forest gaps and edges where increased light penetration supports higher insect diversity.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Cotton's Amazon Spider faces severe threats from rapid deforestation and habitat fragmentation in its limited range within the Amazon rainforest. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized habitat destruction from agricultural expansion, logging, and infrastructure development.
Agricultural expansion
Deforestation and habitat loss
Habitat fragmentation
Logging activities
Infrastructure development
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Cotton's Amazon Spider (Glyphesis cottonae). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/cottons-amazon-spider