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,K F Tipton (ed). Neurotoxins in Neurobiology Taylor & Francis, 1994; page 7. that antagonizes the actions of the neurotransmitter glutamate.Geoffrey A. Cordell. Chemistry and Pharmacology (Google eBook). Academic Press, Jul 27, 1995; page 69. . Dopamine was also identified in the venom of A. gemma in a concentration of 4.3 nM.Spider Physiology and Behaviour: Physiology Academic Press, Nov 26, 2011; page 23.
The web silk of the A. gemma ranges from 1 to 4 μm in diameter.David Kaplan, Kevin McGrath. Protein-Based Materials Springer, 1997; page 113. .
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Araneus quadratus