Orb-weaver
Guides
Micrathena gracilis
Spined Micrathena
Micrathena gracilis is a small orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, commonly known as the Spined Micrathena. Females possess distinctive abdominal spines and build moderately large, tightly coiled orb webs up to 30 cm in diameter. The species exhibits behavioral thermoregulation through web orientation, positioning webs to optimize solar exposure based on microhabitat conditions. It is harmless to humans and primarily inhabits wooded and brushy areas.
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
Spotted Orb-weavers, Barn Spiders
Neoscona is a genus of orb-weaver spiders (Araneidae) containing over 100 described species, commonly known as spotted orb-weavers and barn spiders. The genus was erected by Eugène Simon in 1895 to separate species from the obsolete genus Epeira. Neoscona species are among the most common orb-weavers in North America and are found throughout most parts of the world. They construct vertical orb webs with approximately twenty radii and an open hub, typically hunting at night and retreating to the web periphery or a curled leaf during the day.
Neoscona arabesca
Arabesque Orbweaver
Neoscona arabesca is a common orb-weaving spider found throughout North America, recognized by the distinctive swirling, brightly colored markings on its abdomen that give it the common name 'arabesque orbweaver.' Females build vertical orb webs 15–45 cm in diameter with 18–20 radii, occupying the hub at night and retreating to a curled leaf during the day. The species has been introduced to Nepal and China. It is a documented host for the parasitic ichneumon wasp Acrotaphus wiltii.
Neoscona crucifera
Hentz orbweaver, spotted orbweaver, barn spider
Neoscona crucifera is a large orb-weaver spider in the family Araneidae, commonly known as the Hentz orbweaver or spotted orbweaver. The species is notable for its large, conspicuous webs built on buildings and other structures near outdoor lights, where it captures nocturnal flying insects. Females are significantly larger than males and exhibit considerable color variation, most commonly appearing rusty-red or golden orange. The spider is widespread across eastern and central North America, with populations extending into the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is most visible in late summer and early fall when mature females become diurnal to maximize prey capture.
Neoscona nautica
Brown Sailor Spider
Neoscona nautica, commonly known as the brown sailor spider, is an orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae. Native to Asia and Pacific islands, it has been introduced to both the Americas and Africa. As a member of the genus Neoscona, it constructs spiral orb webs to capture flying insect prey.
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.
Nycteola
Nycteola is a genus of spiders in the family Nucteniidae. These spiders are nocturnal orb-weavers that construct webs under eaves and near artificial light sources. They are typically found in association with human structures and buildings.
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.
Octonoba
Octonoba is a genus of cribellate orb-weaving spiders in the family Uloboridae, established in 1979. The genus comprises 33 described species distributed across East Asia, with highest diversity in China, Japan, and Taiwan. Members are characterized by a carapace length exceeding 1.4 mm, distinguishing them from the related genus Purumitra. One species, O. sinensis, has been introduced to the United States.
Octonoba sinensis
Octonoba sinensis is a cribellate orb-weaving spider in the family Uloboridae. Native to East Asia, it has been introduced to the United States. As a member of Uloboridae, it lacks venom glands and instead uses a cribellum—a specialized silk-producing organ—to create sticky capture threads.
Pachygnatha autumnalis
Big-eyed Thick-jawed Spider
Pachygnatha autumnalis is a long-jawed orb-weaver spider in the family Tetragnathidae, first described by Marx in 1884. The species occurs across a broad North American and Caribbean range, including the United States, Canada, and Cuba. As a member of the genus Pachygnatha, it shares the characteristic robust, enlarged chelicerae that distinguish this group from other tetragnathids. Observations suggest it is primarily active during autumn months, consistent with its specific epithet.
Philoponella oweni
Philoponella oweni is a small cribellate orb-weaver spider (4.7–7.1 mm) found in arid regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The species exhibits facultative semi-social behavior, with females living either solitarily or in communal groups of 2–40 individuals depending on web-site availability and prey abundance. Despite communal living, individuals do not cooperate in prey capture, web construction, or brood care. Communal females benefit from higher feeding rates and greater egg production, but suffer increased parasitism by pteromalid wasps, resulting in equivalent net reproductive success between strategies.
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.
Tetragnatha
Stretch Spiders, Long-jawed Orb Weavers
Tetragnatha is a large genus of long-jawed orb-weaving spiders with hundreds of species distributed worldwide, though most occur in tropical and subtropical regions. These spiders are characterized by their elongated bodies, extremely long legs, and notably elongated chelicerae (jaws) with well-developed teeth. They construct horizontal orb webs, often near water, and many species can run across water surfaces. The genus exhibits remarkable variation in dispersal ability, with some species being excellent dispersers capable of colonizing islands, while others appear to have secondarily lost this capacity. Hawaiian Tetragnatha species have undergone adaptive radiation, with some lineages evolving cursorial (running) behavior and abandoning web-building entirely.
spiderorb-weaverlong-jawedaquaticstretch-spideradaptive-radiationHawaiicursorial-evolutionhorizontal-webwater-walkingcamouflagemultivoltinesocial-spiderTetragnathidaeAraneaeArachnidapredatorinsectivoreriparianwetlandmeadowtropicalsubtropicalcosmopolitandispersalisland-colonizationphylogeographychemical-species-recognitioncommunal-webbingkleptoparasitism-targetTetragnatha caudata
tailed long-jawed orbweaver
Tetragnatha caudata is a species of long-jawed orb-weaving spider in the family Tetragnathidae. The species is characterized by its elongated body form and exceptionally long chelicerae, traits shared with other members of the genus Tetragnatha. It occurs across a broad geographic range in the Americas and Caribbean. Like other tetragnathids, it constructs orb webs in a horizontal or near-horizontal orientation.
Tetragnatha dearmata
Tetragnatha dearmata is a species of long-jawed orb weaver spider in the family Tetragnathidae. The species was described by Thorell in 1873 and has a transcontinental distribution spanning North America and Eurasia. Like other members of the genus Tetragnatha, it possesses characteristically elongated chelicerae and a slender body form adapted for camouflage in vegetation. Specific details of its biology and ecology remain poorly documented in the available literature.
Tetragnatha extensa
Common Stretch Spider
Tetragnatha extensa is a long-jawed orb-weaver spider with a Holarctic distribution. It is characterized by an extremely elongated body and legs, with females reaching up to 11 mm in body length. The species constructs horizontal orb webs in damp, vegetated habitats and exhibits a distinctive straight-line defensive posture when alarmed. It is the most common species of Tetragnatha in the United Kingdom and among the most frequently encountered long-jawed orb weavers across its range.
Tetragnatha guatemalensis
Guatemalan long-jawed spider
Tetragnatha guatemalensis is a long-jawed orb weaver spider notable for its exceptional social behavior among typically solitary arachnids. Under favorable conditions, particularly during mass emergence of midges, this species constructs extensive communal webs that can span acres. The species demonstrates remarkable tolerance of conspecifics, with thousands of individuals cooperating to build shared silk structures. This social web-building represents the extreme end of a gradient of tolerance seen across the genus Tetragnatha.
Tetragnatha laboriosa
Silver Long-jawed Orbweaver
Tetragnatha laboriosa is a long-jawed orb-weaving spider in the family Tetragnathidae, commonly known as the silver long-jawed orbweaver. It occurs across North and Central America with records extending from Alaska to southern South America. The species passes through nine instars before reaching adulthood. Activity is predominantly crepuscular, with mating occurring at night.
Tetragnatha nitens
Nitens long-jawed spider
Tetragnatha nitens is a long-jawed orb weaver spider with a cosmotropical distribution spanning tropical and subtropical Asia, where it is native, and numerous introduced regions including the Americas, Macaronesia, Mediterranean Europe, Africa, Madagascar, Pacific islands, and New Zealand. The species constructs horizontal orb webs in vegetation and has demonstrated ecological adaptability across diverse biomes including Fynbos, Grassland, Savanna, and Thicket. Listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographic range and presence in multiple protected areas.
Tetragnatha straminea
long-jawed orb weaver
Tetragnatha straminea is a species of long-jawed orb weaver spider in the family Tetragnathidae. It is found across northern North America, including the United States, Canada, and Cuba. Like other members of the genus Tetragnatha, it possesses elongated chelicerae and a slender body adapted for camouflage. The species was described by Emerton in 1884.
Tetragnatha viridis
Green Long-jawed Orbweaver
Tetragnatha viridis is a species of long-jawed orb-weaver spider in the family Tetragnathidae, distinguished by its striking emerald green coloration. It is found in the eastern United States and adjacent southern Canada, with recent records documenting its presence in Quebec, Canada. Like other members of its genus, it constructs horizontal orb webs and possesses characteristically elongated chelicerae and slender body proportions.
Theridiosoma
ray spiders
Theridiosoma is a genus of ray spiders (family Theridiosomatidae) first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1879. These small spiders, measuring 0.5–2.5 mm in body length, are renowned for their unique hunting behavior: they construct specialized webs that function as high-speed slingshots to actively capture prey. The genus contains approximately 33 species distributed globally, with records from North America, Europe, Asia, Central and South America, Africa, Oceania, and the Caribbean.
Theridiosoma gemmosum
Common Eastern Ray Spider, Ray Spider
A small Holarctic ray spider distinguished by its unique conical orb web. Females measure 2–3 mm, males 1.5–2 mm. The species constructs a specialized web held under tension by the spider, which is released to snap forward and capture flying prey. Mating involves successive copulations with males providing silk draglines that females ingest as nuptial gifts between copulations.
Theridiosomatidae
ray orbweavers, ray spiders, slingshot spiders
Theridiosomatidae is a small family of orb-weaving spiders known for constructing distinctive cone-shaped or slingshot webs. The family comprises approximately 137 extant species in 20 genera, distributed primarily in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Members are commonly called "ray spiders" or "slingshot spiders" due to their unique web architecture where the web center is pulled back and anchored, then released to propel the spider toward prey. Most species are small, typically under 1 cm in body length. The family exhibits remarkable behavioral diversity in web construction, with some genera showing specialized adaptations including cave-dwelling and high-elevation habitat preferences.
Trichonephila
Banded Orbweavers, Golden Orb-weavers
Trichonephila is a genus of large orb-weaver spiders renowned for constructing massive, golden-hued webs. Females exhibit pronounced sexual size dimorphism, reaching 12–40 mm in body length while males remain much smaller. The genus was elevated from subgenus status in 2019 and now encompasses 13 species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Several species, including the Jorō spider (T. clavata) and golden silk spider (T. clavipes), have become notable invaders in North America, with T. clavata demonstrating remarkable cold tolerance and rapid range expansion along the eastern United States.
Trichonephila clavata
Jorō spider, Joro Spider, Parachute spider
Trichonephila clavata, commonly known as the Jorō spider, is a large orb-weaving spider native to East Asia that has become established as an invasive species in the southeastern United States since approximately 2010. First confirmed in Georgia in 2014, it has expanded rapidly across multiple states through a combination of ballooning dispersal and human-mediated transport. The species is notable for its substantial size, striking coloration, and extensive golden webs, but poses minimal risk to humans due to small fangs and docile behavior. Its physiological adaptations—including higher metabolic rate, faster heart rate, and greater cold tolerance than its congener Trichonephila clavipes—suggest potential for continued northward range expansion.
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clavipes
Golden Silk Orb-weaver, Golden Silk Spider, Golden Orb Weaver Spider, Banana Spider
Trichonephila clavipes, commonly known as the golden silk orb-weaver, is a large orb-weaving spider native to continental North and South America. Females are among the largest non-tarantula spiders in North America, measuring 24–40 mm in length, with distinctive yellow-brown coloration and long legs bearing black brush-like tufts of hair. The species is renowned for producing golden-colored silk—one of the strongest known biological materials—and constructing large asymmetrical orb webs up to 1–2 meters in diameter. Unlike its congener Trichonephila clavata (Jorō spider), T. clavipes has limited cold tolerance and remains largely confined to warmer southern regions of the United States despite being established there for over 160 years.
Uloborus
Feather-legged Spiders, Featherlegged Orb-weavers, Hackled Band Orb-weavers
Uloborus is a genus of cribellate orb-weaving spiders in the family Uloboridae, comprising approximately 72 described species. These small spiders (3–6 mm body length) are unique among orb-weavers in lacking venom glands entirely, instead relying on constriction and digestive enzymes to subdue prey. They construct small horizontal orb-webs with hackled, non-sticky silk produced by a specialized cribellum organ, often incorporating a stabilimentum—a thickened linear or zigzag silk band at the web hub. The genus is predominantly tropical and subtropical in distribution, with only a few species extending into temperate North America and Europe.
Uloborus campestratus
Featherlegged Orb-weaver, Hackled Band Orb-weaver
Uloborus campestratus is a small cribellate orb-weaving spider in the family Uloboridae. It is one of five Uloborus species in North America, distributed from the United States to Venezuela. Like all uloborids, it lacks venom glands and subdues prey through extensive silk wrapping and constriction rather than venomous bites. The species builds small horizontal orb webs with hackled, non-sticky capture threads produced by its cribellum and fluffed using a calamistrum comb on its hind legs.
Uloborus diversus
hackled orb-weaver, featherlegged orb-weaver
Uloborus diversus is a cribellate orb-weaving spider in the family Uloboridae. It inhabits desert regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. The species is one of few North American spiders that lack venom glands, instead subduing prey through silk constriction. It has become an important model organism for studying the evolution of spidroins (spider silk proteins) and the neurobiology of orb-web construction behavior. A chromosome-level genome assembly has been completed to support this research.
Uloborus glomosus
Featherlegged Orbweaver
Uloborus glomosus is a small cribellate orb-weaving spider and the only member of its genus recorded in Canada. It belongs to the family Uloboridae, a group distinguished by the absence of venom glands. The species captures prey using hackled, non-sticky silk produced by a specialized spinning organ called the cribellum. Prey is subdued through extensive wrapping and constriction rather than venomous bite.
Verrucosa arenata
Arrowhead Orbweaver, Arrowhead Spider, Triangle Orb Weaver
Verrucosa arenata is a large orb-weaver spider notable for its triangular, arrowhead-shaped abdomen and distinctive upward-facing posture in its web—unusual among orb-weavers. Females display white or yellow triangular markings on the dorsal abdomen, while males are smaller and lack this pattern. The species exhibits color polymorphism with documented trade-offs between camouflage and prey attraction. Its webs feature a unique architecture lacking radial threads, with tougher, stretchier silk enabling specialized "reeling" prey capture behavior.
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
Missing-sector Orbweb Spiders
Zygiella is a genus of orb-weaver spiders distinguished by their distinctive webs, which feature a missing sector containing a single signaling thread that leads to a tubular retreat. First described by F. O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1902, the genus underwent taxonomic revision in 2015 when Parazygiella was synonymized with Zygiella. The genus has a global distribution, with species found across Europe, North America, Asia, and introduced populations in South America and elsewhere.
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.
Zygiella nearctica
Nearctic Sector Orbweaver
Zygiella nearctica is a boreal orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae. Like other members of its genus, it constructs a characteristic orb web with a missing sector in the upper portion. The species is native to North America and has been documented across a broad geographic range from coast to coast in Canada, extending southward into the northern United States.
Zygiella x-notata
missing sector orb weaver, silver-sided sector spider, Winter Spider, Opensector Orbweaver
Zygiella x-notata is an orb-weaving spider distinguished by its characteristic web with a missing sector in the upper half, connected by a signal thread to a peripheral retreat. Adult females measure 5–11 mm, males up to 7 mm. The species exhibits strong synanthropic behavior, commonly found on human structures such as window frames, walls, and fences. It has an annual life cycle with reproduction in summer and egg sac production in autumn. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to North America, New Zealand, and other regions worldwide.