Tent-web
Guides
Cyrtophora
tent-web spiders, tentweb weavers
Cyrtophora is a genus of tent-web spiders in the family Araneidae. Despite being classified as orb-weavers, these spiders construct horizontal, tent-like non-sticky webs rather than traditional orb webs. Many species exhibit colonial behavior, with multiple individuals sharing extensive web structures. The genus is distributed across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, with some species introduced to new areas. Females typically reach about 10 mm in body length.
Cyrtophora citricola
Tropical Tent-web Spider, Tropical Tent-web Orbweaver
Cyrtophora citricola is a colonial orb-weaver spider in the family Araneidae, notable for building horizontal, non-adhesive tent-shaped webs rather than typical vertical orb webs. The species exhibits remarkable social flexibility, living either solitarily or in colonies where individual webs are interconnected. Native to Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe, it has expanded to the Americas since 2000, including Florida and Puerto Rico. Females reach 10 mm in body length while males are markedly smaller at 3 mm. The species shows pronounced sexual dimorphism and has become significant in agricultural contexts both as a pest and as a potential biological control agent.