# 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! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 9 - **Habitat:** Spotted Orbweavers live in gardens, forests, and fields, often found among plants where they can spin their webs. - **Also known as:** Common Orbweaver, Golden Orb-Weaver, Orbweaving Spider, Spotted Orbweaver ![Spotted Orbweavers](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Neoscona_adianta_1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neoscona_adianta_1.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Arachnida - **Order:** Araneae - **Family:** Araneidae - **Genus:** Neoscona ## 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 - **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. - **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. - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-fever-mosquito) (*Aedes aegypti*) — Orbweavers help control mosquito populations. ## Traits - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [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. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Spotted Orbweavers? 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 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 ## Where to spot - [Chatham Arch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chatham-arch) — Indiana, US · Neighborhood - [Congress Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/congress-avenue-historic-district) — Texas, US · Historic District - [Red Hill Patrick Henry National Memorial](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/red-hill-patrick-henry-national-memorial) — Virginia, US · National Park - [Causeyville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/causeyville-historic-district) — Mississippi, US · Historic District - [Gillsville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gillsville-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Itha T. Krumme Memorial Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/itha-t-krumme-memorial-arboretum) — Nebraska, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Spotted Orbweavers](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/spotted-orbweavers) ## 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: [Spotted Orbweavers: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-orbweavers)