# Asian Spinybacked Orbweaver (*thelacantha brevispina*) The Asian Spinybacked Orbweaver (Thelacantha brevispina) is a captivating spider renowned for its striking, crab-like appearance. Widespread across South and Southeast Asia, this small arachnid stands out due to its hardened, colorful abdomen adorned with six prominent, sharp spines. Unlike typical garden spiders, the females of this species build highly robust, vertical orb webs decorated with conspicuous white silk tufts, which may serve as a visual warning to prevent birds from flying through them. These industrious spiders are major insect predators, playing an essential role in regulating local pest populations in tropical forests, gardens, and shrubby areas. While their bizarre shape and vivid markings can make them look intimidating, they are completely harmless to humans. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Found in tropical and subtropical woodlands, scrublands, and coastal forests, frequently weaving webs between shrubs and low tree branches. ![Asian Spinybacked Orbweaver](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/5453209/medium.jpg) Photo: Chen-Pan Liao, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/5453209) ## Appearance Female Asian Spinybacked Orbweavers possess a broad, hard, crab-like abdomen that features a distinctive pattern of white, black, and orange markings, punctuated by six distinct, dark spines curving outward from the edges. The abdomen's dorsal side often displays two prominent white spots resembling eyes, contrasting sharply with the dark background. Females measure around 0.5 to 1.0 centimeter in length, whereas the cryptic males are significantly smaller, often measuring less than 0.3 centimeters, and lack the dramatic spines and bright coloration of their female counterparts. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Arachnida - **Order:** Araneae - **Family:** Araneidae - **Genus:** Thelacantha ## Interesting facts - Males are extreme underdogs in size, weighing up to 100 times less than females, and must carefully court females to avoid being eaten during mating. - The distinct 'eyespot' pattern on the back of the spider's abdomen is a form of mimicry designed to confuse and scare away potential predators. - They rebuild or patch their webs almost daily to ensure the sticky silk remains effective at trapping prey in dusty tropical environments. ## Special abilities - **Spiny Armor Protection:** The hardened abdominal exoskeleton and sharp spines make the spider difficult and unpalatable for small predators like birds and lizards to swallow. - **Web Tuft Warning:** They weave highly visible white silk tufts into their webs, which act as visual deterrents to prevent larger animals from accidentally destroying their hard work. - **Thermoregulatory Posturing:** They can adjust their body orientation relative to the sun to absorb heat on cooler mornings or minimize direct exposure during intense tropical afternoons. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 1 cm - **Weight:** 0.0001-0.0005 kg - **Lifespan:** 1 years - **Clutch Size:** 100-300 - **Incubation:** 14-28 days ## Diet & Feeding Feeds almost exclusively on small flying insects that fly into its sticky, vertical orb web. - **Age differences:** Spiderlings consume microscopic insects and pollen caught on the web, while adults target larger flying insects. - **Primary Foods:** Mosquitoes, Fruit flies, Small moths, Gnats - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Asian Tiger Mosquito](https://www.snappit.app/explore/asian-tiger-mosquito) (*Aedes albopictus*) — Preys upon mosquitoes, helping control populations of disease vectors in tropical regions. - **Eaten by:** Common House Gecko (*Hemidactylus frenatus*) — Falls prey to common tropical wall geckos that hunt near lights and foliage where webs are constructed. - **Eaten by:** Asian Mud Dauber Wasp (*Sceliphron madraspatanum*) — Parasitized by specialized wasps that paralyze the spider to feed their developing larvae. ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Asian Spinybacked 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 long is Asian Spinybacked Orbweaver? 1 cm ### How much does Asian Spinybacked Orbweaver weigh? 0.0001-0.0005 kg ### How long does Asian Spinybacked Orbweaver live? 1 years ### What does Asian Spinybacked Orbweaver eat? Feeds almost exclusively on small flying insects that fly into its sticky, vertical orb web. ### Where is Asian Spinybacked Orbweaver usually found? Found in tropical and subtropical woodlands, scrublands, and coastal forests, frequently weaving webs between shrubs and low tree branches. ### How does Asian Spinybacked Orbweaver hunt? Ambush ### How many eggs does Asian Spinybacked Orbweaver lay? 100-300 ## Where to spot - [Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/amy-b-h-greenwell-ethnobotanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden - [Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hawaii-tropical-botanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden - [Kahanu Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kahanu-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Asian Spinybacked Orbweaver](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/asian-spinybacked-orbweaver) ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Asian Spinybacked Orbweaver: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/asian-spinybacked-orbweaver)