# American Nursery Web Spider (*Pisaurina mira*) The American Nursery Web Spider is a friendly spider that likes to live in gardens and fields. It has long legs and can be spotted easily as it hunts for insects to eat. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 71 - **Habitat:** Gardens and fields ![American Nursery Web Spider](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pisaurina_mira_5.jpg&width=800) Photo: Patrick Edwin Moran, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pisaurina_mira_5.jpg) ## Appearance The American Nursery Web Spider has a slender, pale brown to gray body, often with a distinctive dark stripe running down its back. Its long, spiny legs extend radially, giving it a somewhat crab-like appearance. Unlike web-building spiders, it lacks prominent spinnerets for large capture webs. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Arachnida - **Order:** Araneae - **Family:** Pisauridae - **Genus:** Pisaurina ## Interesting facts - A mother spider guards her silk nursery tent until her babies emerge! - Female spiders carry their large egg sac in their mouthparts until it's time! - They can sprint across water to catch insects or escape predators! - Unlike most spiders, they don't use webs to catch their meals! ## Special abilities - **Master of Disguise:** American Nursery Web Spider can blend perfectly into vegetation because of its camouflaged body, helping them ambush prey undetected. - **Silk Nursery Builder:** American Nursery Web Spider can create a protective silk tent for its eggs and newly hatched young, safeguarding them from predators. - **Water Walker:** American Nursery Web Spider has specialized leg hairs that allow it to skim across the surface of water, helping it hunt aquatic insects. - **Prey Pounce:** American Nursery Web Spider can rapidly chase and pounce on unsuspecting insects because of its keen eyesight and swift legs. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 10-16 mm - **Lifespan:** 365-730 days - **Leg Count:** 8 ## Diet & Feeding These spiders are predators that hunt a variety of small insects and other invertebrates. - **Primary Foods:** grasshoppers, flies, crickets, caterpillars, small spiders - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — a common bird predator - **Eaten by:** Common Wasp (*Vespula vulgaris*) — some wasps can prey on spiders - **Hunts:** [House Cricket](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-cricket) (*Acheta domesticus*) — a common prey item - **Hunts:** House Fly (*Musca domestica*) — a swift airborne insect prey ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Web Builder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/web-builder): This trait characterizes organisms that construct elaborate silken webs for catching prey, shelter, or reproduction. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Spiders are usually not dangerous, but it's best to watch them from a distance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify American Nursery Web Spider? Compare body proportions, leg shape, abdomen markings and the web, if there is one. Eye arrangement can be decisive but rarely shows up in a casual phone photo. A web is a supporting clue, not proof of who built it. Spider Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How big is American Nursery Web Spider? 10-16 mm ### How long does American Nursery Web Spider live? 365-730 days ### What does American Nursery Web Spider eat? These spiders are predators that hunt a variety of small insects and other invertebrates. ### Where is American Nursery Web Spider usually found? Gardens and fields ### How does American Nursery Web Spider hunt? Pursuit ### How many legs does American Nursery Web Spider have? 8 ## Where to spot - [Anderson Japanese Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-japanese-gardens) — Illinois, US · Botanical Garden - [Audubon Place Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/audubon-place-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Belltown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/belltown-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Black Hawk State Historic Site](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/black-hawk-state-historic-site) — Illinois, US · Park - [Brett Woods Open Space](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brett-woods-open-space) — Connecticut, US · Park - [Carriage Paths, Bridges and Gatehouses](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/carriage-paths-bridges-and-gatehouses) — Maine, US · Historic District [View all places to see American Nursery Web Spider](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/american-nursery-web-spider) ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [American Nursery Web Spider: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-nursery-web-spider)