Spotted Orbweavers
ExploreInsects
Spotted Orbweavers
neoscona
Spotted Orbweavers are colorful spiders that spin beautiful webs in gardens and forests. They help keep the environment healthy by catching pesky insects!
Habitat: Spotted Orbweavers live in gardens, forests, and fields, often found among plants where they can spin their webs.
Appearance
The Spotted Orbweaver has a plump, oval abdomen often yellowish-brown to reddish-brown, marked with a distinctive pattern of dark spots, lines, or a cross-like shape. Its cephalothorax is smaller and darker, and its robust legs are frequently banded.
KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassArachnidaOrderAraneaeFamilyAraneidaeGenusNeoscona
Category
InsectsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
Be the first to snap!
Interesting facts
Did you know their silk is super strong? Stronger than steel by weight!
Female Spotted Orbweavers are much bigger than males, sometimes twice their size!
Some orbweavers eat their old webs every morning to recycle the silk!
They often hang upside down in their webs, patiently waiting for a snack.
Special abilities
Ability
Silk Engineering
Spotted Orbweavers can spin intricate, strong, and sticky orb webs because of specialized spinnerets that produce various types of silk, helping them catch flying insects.
Ability
Nighttime Rebuilder
Spotted Orbweavers can re-ingest and rebuild their entire web almost every night, helping them maintain a fresh, effective trap and hide from predators.
Ability
Vibration Sense
Spotted Orbweavers has tiny hairs and slit sensilla on their legs that detect web vibrations, helping them know when prey is caught or predators are near.
Measurements & details
- Size
- 5-20 mm
- Lifespan
- 200-365 days
- Leg Count
- 8
Diet & Feeding
These eight-legged hunters mostly eat flying insects caught in their amazing sticky webs.
Primary Foods
- moths
- flies
- beetles
- mosquitoes
- grasshoppers
Foraging Method
- Ambush
Ecological connections
eaten by
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Birds often prey on orbweavers in their webs.
eats
Black and Yellow Mud Dauber
Sceliphron caementarium
These wasps paralyze spiders to feed their young.
hunts
House Fly
Musca domestica
A primary food source caught in their sticky webs.
hunts
Yellow Fever Mosquito
Aedes aegypti
Orbweavers help control mosquito populations.
Traits
Spotted
Marked with spots or patches of a different color.
Arboreal
Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
Carnivorous
This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue.
Diurnal
Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
Nocturnal
Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day.
Also known as
Common OrbweaverCross SpiderGolden Orb-WeaverOrbweaving SpiderSpotted Orbweaver
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
No special safety notes yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is Spotted Orbweavers?
5-20 mm
How long does Spotted Orbweavers live?
200-365 days
What does Spotted Orbweavers eat?
These eight-legged hunters mostly eat flying insects caught in their amazing sticky webs.
Where is Spotted Orbweavers usually found?
Spotted Orbweavers live in gardens, forests, and fields, often found among plants where they can spin their webs.
How does Spotted Orbweavers hunt?
Ambush
How many legs does Spotted Orbweavers have?
8
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Recent Snaps
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Where to spot
Park90 sightings14 species
Virginia, US
Leewood Park
You might spot Asian Lady Beetle, Monarch, and Oriental Bittersweet.
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Park79 sightings13 species
Virginia, US
Kirk Park
You might spot Pines, Common Milkweed, and Sweetbay Magnolia.
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Park17 sightings10 species
Tennessee, US
W.J. Freeman Park
You might spot Eurasian Collared-Dove and Honey Fungus.
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Park20 sightings9 species
Virginia, US
Levelle W. Dupell Park
You might spot Evergreen Bagworm Moth, Wild Indigos, and Silver Maple.
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Park125 sightings8 species
Pennsylvania, US
Clarence H. Clark Park
You might spot American Robin, Kentucky Yellowwood, and Kousa Dogwood.
View guide →
