Zygiella dispar

Zygiella dispar can be distinguished from the more commonly encountered Zygiella x-notata by geographic range and habitat association; Z. dispar occurs from southern British Columbia to Monterey, California and is native to this region, whereas Z. x-notata is introduced and associated with human structures. Z. dispar was formerly placed in the genus Parazygiella, which was synonymized with Zygiella in 2015. Unlike Z. x-notata, which consistently builds webs with a missing sector, Z. dispar builds a complete orb web without the characteristic gap.

Found in western North America from southern British Columbia to central California. The species is native to this region and occurs in natural habitats rather than being restricted to human structures.

Holarctic distribution: North America (southern British Columbia to Monterey, California) and Europe. Records also indicate presence in Northern Asia and Southern Asia.

Builds a complete orb web, unlike the missing-sector webs characteristic of Zygiella x-notata. The spider occupies a tubular retreat at the web periphery.

• Zygiella x-notataZ. x-notata is introduced to North America and builds webs with a characteristic missing sector, whereas Z. dispar is native and builds complete orb webs. Z. x-notata is strongly associated with human structures, while Z. dispar occurs in more natural settings.
• Zygiella atricaZ. atrica is another introduced species in the Pacific Northwest (northwestern Washington and southern British Columbia), distinguished from Z. dispar by its introduced status and more restricted range.
• Parazygiella carpenteriFormerly classified with Z. dispar in Parazygiella, but now separated; P. carpenteri has a disjunct distribution in the Sierra Nevada, California coast, and southeastern Washington.

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Bug Eric: Missing Sector Orbweaver, Zygiella x-notata
• It Flies! Regulatory Officials on Constant Alert for Flighted Spongy Moths