# Mabel Orchard Orbweaver (*leucauge argyrobapta*) The Mabel Orchard Orbweaver spins beautiful webs that shimmer in the sunlight! This little spider helps keep gardens healthy by catching pesky bugs. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 10 - **Habitat:** Orchards, gardens, and wooded areas. - **Also known as:** Orchard Spider, Weaver Spider ![Mabel Orchard Orbweaver](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Mabel_Orchard_Orbweaver_%28Leucauge_argyrobapta%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Kaldari, CC0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mabel_Orchard_Orbweaver_%28Leucauge_argyrobapta%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Mabel Orchard Orbweaver is a small, striking spider with a silvery-green abdomen often marked with black or yellow spots. Its legs are slender, banded with black and yellow, and its cephalothorax is usually a golden-brown hue, making it stand out against foliage. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Arachnida - **Order:** Araneae - **Family:** Tetragnathidae - **Genus:** Leucauge ## Interesting facts - Look closely! Males are often tiny, sometimes less than half the size of the larger, impressive females. - Mabel Orchard Orbweavers typically hang head-down in their beautiful, circular webs, waiting patiently for a meal. - Their incredible silk is five times stronger than steel by weight, perfect for catching fast insects! - This spider often eats its own broken web to recycle the valuable protein silk for new construction. ## Special abilities - **Silken Architect:** Mabel Orchard Orbweaver can spin intricate, nearly invisible orb webs in perfect geometric patterns that helps them capture flying insects efficiently. - **Vibration Sense:** Mabel Orchard Orbweaver has highly sensitive leg hairs that help them detect tiny vibrations from trapped prey or predators in their web. - **Hidden Gem:** Mabel Orchard Orbweaver has a shiny, silvery-green body that helps them blend into sunlight-dappled foliage, hiding from both prey and predators. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 3-7 mm - **Lifespan:** 180-365 days - **Leg Count:** 8 ## Diet & Feeding These spiders primarily feast on tiny flying insects caught in their intricate silken webs. - **Primary Foods:** flies, moths, mosquitoes, small beetles, gnats - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** House Fly (*Musca domestica*) — Catches and consumes common house flies in its sticky web. - **Eaten by:** House Wren (*Troglodytes aedon*) — Often preyed upon by small insectivorous birds like wrens. - **Eaten by:** Black-and-yellow Mud Dauber (*Sceliphron caementarium*) — A common prey item for parasitic wasps that provision their nests. ## 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. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [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:** 0/5 · No known danger Always observe spiders from a distance and do not touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Mabel Orchard 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 Mabel Orchard Orbweaver? 3-7 mm ### How long does Mabel Orchard Orbweaver live? 180-365 days ### What does Mabel Orchard Orbweaver eat? These spiders primarily feast on tiny flying insects caught in their intricate silken webs. ### Where is Mabel Orchard Orbweaver usually found? Orchards, gardens, and wooded areas. ### How does Mabel Orchard Orbweaver hunt? Ambush ### How many legs does Mabel Orchard Orbweaver have? 8 ## Where to spot - [Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albemarle-and-chesapeake-canal) — Virginia, US · Historic Site - [Columbia Historic District I](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/columbia-historic-district-i) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/corkscrew-swamp-sanctuary) — Florida, US · Nature Reserve - [Flamingo Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/flamingo-gardens) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Foley Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/foley-downtown-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Fort Caroline](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-caroline) — Florida, US · National Park [View all places to see Mabel Orchard Orbweaver](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/mabel-orchard-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: [Mabel Orchard Orbweaver: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mabel-orchard-orbweaver)