Araneidae
Guides
Mangora
Tuftlegged Orbweaver, Stabilimentum Orb-weaver
Mangora is a genus of small orb-weaving spiders in the family Araneidae, commonly known as tuftlegged orbweavers. These spiders are distinguished by their compact bodies, often with prominent abdominal projections or tubercles, and their distinctive vertical orb webs that frequently feature white silk decorations called stabilimenta. The genus occurs across North America, Europe, and parts of Asia, with species inhabiting diverse habitats from woodlands to grasslands. Mangora spiders are active primarily in late spring and summer, with some species producing multiple generations per year.
Mangora fascialata
Mangora fascialata is a small orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, described by Franganillo in 1936. The species occurs across the Caribbean, Middle America, and southern North America, with records from the USA through Honduras, as well as Cuba, Hispaniola, and Trinidad. Like other Mangora species, it constructs vertical orb webs rather than the horizontal webs of related genera such as Leucauge.
Mangora maculata
Green-legged Orbweaver, Greenlegged Orbweaver
Mangora maculata, commonly known as the green-legged orbweaver, is a species of orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae. It is found in the United States and parts of Canada. The species is characterized by its distinctive green legs and builds vertical orb webs.
Mangora placida
Tuft-legged Orbweaver
Mangora placida is a small orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, commonly known as the Tuft-legged Orbweaver. It is found across North America, with records from Canada through the United States. The species is notable for the tufted projections on its legs, a distinctive feature referenced in its common name. Juveniles and adults build vertical orb webs to capture flying insects.
Mastophora
bolas spiders, American bolas spiders
Mastophora is a genus of orb-weaver spiders in the family Araneidae, commonly known as bolas spiders. These spiders have abandoned the typical orb-web construction of their relatives and instead hunt using a unique method: they produce a single droplet of sticky silk suspended on a thread (the "bolas") and swing it to capture flying prey. Adult females are nocturnal moth specialists that use aggressive chemical mimicry, releasing sex pheromones to attract specific male moth species within range of their bolas. The genus includes 15 species in the United States, with Mastophora cornigera being the only species found in California.
Mastophora leucabulba
Mastophora leucabulba is a bolas spider in the orb-weaver family Araneidae. Adult females hunt using a single sticky silk droplet suspended from a dragline rather than building an orb web. Males and juvenile females lack this specialized hunting method and capture prey directly with their legs. The species occurs from the United States to Honduras.
Mastophora stowei
Bolas spider
Mastophora stowei is a species of bolas spider in the orb-weaver family Araneidae, described by Herbert W. Levi in 2003. Like other members of the genus Mastophora, this species has abandoned the construction of traditional orb webs in favor of a specialized hunting technique using a single sticky silk globule suspended on a dragline. The species occurs in the United States and is one of approximately 15 Mastophora species found in North America.
Mastophora timuqua
Bolas spider
Mastophora timuqua is an orb-weaver spider in the family Araneidae, notable for its unique hunting strategy. Adult females are bolas spiders that capture prey using sticky silk droplets suspended on a single line rather than constructing a traditional web. The species is known from the United States, with records indicating presence in North America. Like other members of the genus Mastophora, this species exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism in hunting behavior.
Mastophora yeargani
Yeargan's Bolas Spider
Mastophora yeargani is a bolas spider in the orb-weaver family Araneidae, found in the United States. Adult females are specialized predators that capture prey using a single sticky droplet of silk suspended from a dragline, rather than building an orb web. Males and juvenile females lack this hunting strategy and instead capture prey directly with their legs. The species was described by Levi in 2003 and is one of approximately 15 Mastophora species known from the United States.
Mecynogea
basilica spiders
Mecynogea is a genus of orb-weaver spiders in the family Araneidae, first described by Eugène Simon in 1903. The genus contains nine species distributed across the Americas, from the United States to Argentina. The name derives from Greek words meaning "to lengthen" and "earth." Members of this genus are commonly known as basilica spiders.
Mecynogea lemniscata
Basilica Orbweaver
Mecynogea lemniscata, commonly known as the basilica orbweaver, is a species of orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae. It occurs across a broad geographic range from the United States to Argentina. Females are generalist predators that employ orb-web hunting strategies. Research has documented sixteen distinct behavioral acts during prey capture, with sequences varying according to prey type.
Metepeira
labyrinth spiders, labyrinth orb-weavers
Metepeira is a genus of small orb-weaving spiders in the family Araneidae, first described by F. O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1903. The genus contains 44 species distributed from Argentina to Canada, with highest diversity in western North America and Mexico. These spiders construct distinctive webs combining a small orb web with a tangled, labyrinthine snare surrounding a thimble-like retreat. Some species exhibit facultative colonial behavior, with individuals interlacing webs over large areas under conditions of high prey availability.
Metepeira foxi
Metepeira foxi is an orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, first described by Gertsch and Ivie in 1936. The genus Metepeira is known for constructing distinctive combination webs consisting of a small orb web paired with a tangled, cobweb-like snare and a tubular retreat. Species in this genus are primarily found in North America, with highest diversity in western and southwestern regions. M. foxi occurs in the United States and Canada, though specific details of its biology remain poorly documented compared to better-studied congeners such as M. labyrinthea and M. incrassata.
Metepeira gosoga
Metepeira gosoga is an orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like other members of its genus, it constructs a distinctive web consisting of a small orb web connected to a tangled labyrinth of silk surrounding a thimble-shaped retreat. The species is poorly documented in the scientific literature, with most information inferred from better-studied congeners.
Metepeira grandiosa
Metepeira grandiosa is a species of orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae. Like other members of the genus Metepeira, it constructs a distinctive web architecture combining a small orb web with a tangled, labyrinthine snare and a debris-decorated retreat. The species is found in North America.
Metepeira minima
Metepeira minima is a small orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae. The species was described by Gertsch in 1936 and occurs from the United States south to Honduras. Like other members of its genus, it constructs a distinctive web architecture combining a small orb web with a tangled, labyrinthine retreat structure.
Metepeira spinipes
Metepeira spinipes is a colonial orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, ranging from southern Oregon through Mexico. Unlike typical solitary orb weavers, this species exhibits flexible social behavior, forming colonies that vary from solitary individuals to aggregations of several hundred spiders with interconnected webs. Mature females measure 5.5–7.2 mm in body length, while males are smaller at 3–4.5 mm. The species shows pronounced seasonal colony dynamics, with foundation in spring, peak size in late summer, and decline in fall.
Metepeira ventura
labyrinth spider
Metepeira ventura is an orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, found in the United States and Mexico. Like other members of its genus, it constructs a characteristic web consisting of a small orb web connected to a thimble-like retreat surrounded by a tangled network of lines. A California population has been studied for genetic diversity and its relationship to reproductive fitness.
Micrathena funebris
Micrathena funebris is an orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, distributed from the United States through Central America to Costa Rica. As a member of the spiny orbweaver genus Micrathena, it shares the characteristic armored abdomen with spines or projections typical of this tropical and subtropical group. The species was originally described as Acrosoma funebre by Marx in 1898.
Micrathena mitrata
white micrathena
Micrathena mitrata is a small orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, commonly known as the white micrathena. Females range from 4 to 9 mm in body length, while males are smaller at 3 to 4 mm. The species is characterized by a shiny black abdomen and spiky, yellowish-brown legs. It constructs circular orb webs to capture flying insects and is found from the United States south to Brazil. Despite its spiny appearance, it poses no danger to humans.
Neoscona oaxacensis
Western Spotted Orbweaver, Zig-zag Spider
Neoscona oaxacensis is a large orb-weaving spider distributed across the Americas from the United States to South America, including the Galápagos Islands. Females reach 9–18 mm in body length, males 6–13 mm. The species exhibits highly variable dorsal abdominal patterning, with a distinctive black-and-white pattern that aids identification. It constructs spiral orb webs to capture flying insects and is active primarily from late spring through autumn. The species was first described from Oaxaca, Mexico in 1863.
Neoscona pratensis
Marsh Orbweaver
Neoscona pratensis is an orb-weaver spider in the family Araneidae, commonly known as the Marsh Orbweaver. It is found in the United States and Canada, with records from Alberta and Manitoba in Canada. Like other members of the genus Neoscona, it constructs spiral orb webs to capture flying insect prey. The species was described by Nicholas Marcellus Hentz in 1847.
Ocrepeira ectypa
Ocrepeira ectypa is a species of orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae. It is known from the United States, with 66 documented observations on iNaturalist. The species was first described by Walckenaer in 1841.
Ocrepeira georgia
Ocrepeira georgia is an orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, described by Levi in 1976. It is one of approximately 50 species in the genus Ocrepeira, which is characterized by distinctive abdominal projections and complex stabilimentum patterns in their webs. The species is known from the United States, though specific details about its biology and ecology remain poorly documented.
Singa
striped orb-weavers
Singa is a genus of small orb-weaver spiders in the family Araneidae, commonly known as striped orb-weavers. First described by C. L. Koch in 1836, these spiders are diminutive for orb-weavers, with body lengths typically not exceeding 6 millimetres. The genus is characterized by its distinctive striped patterning and classic orb-web construction.
Singa eugeni
Eugen's Orbweaver
Singa eugeni is a species of orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae. It was described by Levi in 1972. The species is known from the United States, where it has been documented through iNaturalist observations. As a member of the genus Singa, it belongs to a group of small orbweavers. Specific details about its biology, habitat preferences, and ecology remain poorly documented in the available literature.
Singa keyserlingi
Singa keyserlingi is a species of orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, first described by McCook in 1894. It is known from the United States and Canada. As an orb weaver, it constructs spiral wheel-shaped webs for prey capture. Information regarding its specific biology, habitat preferences, and detailed morphology remains limited in published sources.
Verrucosa
Verrucosa is a genus of New World orb-weaver spiders (family Araneidae) first described by Henry McCook in 1888. The genus contains approximately forty-five described species, with the vast majority distributed in South America. A single species, Verrucosa arenata (the arrowhead spider), occurs in the United States, ranging from the eastern USA through Panama and into the Greater Antilles. The genus exhibits a predominantly Neotropical distribution pattern.
Wagneriana
Wagneriana is a genus of orb-weaver spiders in the family Araneidae, first described by F. O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1904. The genus contains at least 29 species distributed across the Neotropical region, from the southern United States through Central America and into South America. Species in this genus construct typical orb webs for prey capture. The genus was revised by Levi in 1991, who described the majority of currently recognized species.
Zygiella atrica
Zygiella atrica is an orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, closely related to the well-known Z. x-notata. It builds a distinctive orb web with two missing sectors and a signaling thread leading to a peripheral retreat. The species is more brown in coloration than Z. x-notata and occupies natural habitats away from human structures. It has been introduced to North America from Europe.
Zygiella carpenteri
Zygiella carpenteri is an orb-weaving spider native to western North America. It was formerly classified in the genus Zygiella but has been reclassified to Parazygiella carpenteri in some taxonomic treatments. The species constructs complete orb webs rather than the incomplete webs with missing sectors typical of some related species. It occurs in disjunct populations in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the California coast, and southeastern Washington.