# Arrowhead Orbweaver (*verrucosa arenata*) The Arrowhead Orbweaver spins beautiful, round webs that can catch flying insects. These little spiders are great at helping gardens by keeping pests away! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** They live in gardens, forests, and grassy areas where they can find plenty of insects to catch. - **Also known as:** Arrowhead Spider ![Arrowhead Orbweaver](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Verrucosa_arenata_-_Arrowhead_Spider-3.JPG&width=800) Photo: James Pryor, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Verrucosa_arenata_-_Arrowhead_Spider-3.JPG) ## Appearance The Arrowhead Orbweaver has a striking, often bright yellow or green abdomen shaped like an arrowhead, sometimes with white or orange variations. Its distinctive triangular body, often adorned with tiny spikes, makes it easily recognizable among web-building spiders. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Arachnida - **Order:** Araneae - **Family:** Araneidae - **Genus:** Verrucosa ## Interesting facts - Despite its wild look, its bite is harmless to humans! - Female spiders are much bigger than the tiny males! - Its web can be almost invisible, stretching across paths! - Sometimes they eat their own web to recycle silk! ## Special abilities - **Master Weaver:** Arrowhead Orbweavers can spin intricate, large orb webs because their specialized spinnerets produce strong, sticky silk for catching prey. - **Clever Disguise:** Arrowhead Orbweavers have varied body colors, often yellow or green, that help them blend seamlessly into foliage, hiding from both predators and prey. - **Vibration Sense:** Arrowhead Orbweavers can detect vibrations in their web because sensitive hairs on their legs transmit signals, helping them quickly locate trapped insects. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 2-9 mm - **Lifespan:** 60-180 days - **Leg Count:** 8 ## Diet & Feeding These tiny hunters trap flying insects in their elaborate webs for a meal. - **Primary Foods:** Flies, Mosquitoes, Moths, Small beetles, Wasps - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** House Fly (*Musca domestica*) — Traps flies in sticky web. - **Hunts:** Common Mosquito (*Culex pipiens*) — Catches mosquitoes for food. - **Hunts:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — A rare but powerful meal. - **Eaten by:** [House Sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — Small birds will eat them. ## 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. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always observe spiders from a distance and do not touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Arrowhead Orbweaver? 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 Arrowhead Orbweaver? 2-9 mm ### How long does Arrowhead Orbweaver live? 60-180 days ### What does Arrowhead Orbweaver eat? These tiny hunters trap flying insects in their elaborate webs for a meal. ### Where is Arrowhead Orbweaver usually found? They live in gardens, forests, and grassy areas where they can find plenty of insects to catch. ### How does Arrowhead Orbweaver hunt? Ambush ### How many legs does Arrowhead Orbweaver have? 8 ## Where to spot - [Commerce Street Residential Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/commerce-street-residential-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [East Commerce Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/east-commerce-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Heathcote Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/heathcote-botanical-gardens) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Fort Dale-College Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-dale-college-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [King Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/king-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Post Office Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/post-office-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District [View all places to see Arrowhead Orbweaver](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/arrowhead-orbweaver) ## 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: [Arrowhead Orbweaver: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/arrowhead-orbweaver)