Web-architecture
Guides
Argiope
Garden Orbweavers, St Andrew's Cross Spiders, Writing Spiders, Garden Spiders
Argiope is a genus of large, colorful orb-weaving spiders in the family Araneidae. The name derives from Greek, meaning 'silver-faced,' referring to the silvery cephalothorax characteristic of many species. Females are notably larger than males and often display striking abdominal color patterns in yellow, black, and silver. These spiders construct spiral orb webs that frequently include a conspicuous zigzag silk structure called a stabilimentum. The genus has a worldwide distribution, with species found across tropical and temperate regions on every continent except Antarctica.
Cyclosa conica
Conical Trashline Orbweaver
Cyclosa conica is a small orb-weaving spider known for constructing distinctive vertical webs decorated with debris. Females measure 5.3–7.5 mm in body length, while males are smaller at 3.6–4 mm. The species is recognized by its unique behavior of stringing dead insect bodies and other debris vertically through the center of its web, forming a 'trashline' or stabilimentum. The spider positions itself at the hub of this debris, relying on its cryptic coloration to blend in and avoid detection by predators. When disturbed, it feigns death as a secondary defense.
Frontinella pyramitela
Bowl-and-doily Spider, Bowl and Doily Spider
Frontinella pyramitela, commonly known as the bowl-and-doily spider, is a small sheet-weaving spider found across North and Central America. It is distinguished by its highly characteristic web architecture: an inverted dome-shaped 'bowl' suspended above a horizontal sheet 'doily.' The species is one of the most common and widespread linyphiid spiders in North America, frequently encountered at forest edges, in pine woodlands, and in human-modified environments. Earlier taxonomic references treated this species as Frontinella communis, a name now synonymized with F. pyramitela.
Metepeira arizonica
Arizona Labyrinth Orb-Weaver
Metepeira arizonica is an orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, commonly known as the Arizona Labyrinth Orb-Weaver. It is one of approximately thirteen Metepeira species recognized in North America north of Mexico. Like other members of its genus, it constructs a distinctive web architecture combining a small orb web with a tangled, cobweb-like snare surrounding a tubular retreat. The species occurs in arid and semi-arid habitats of the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Physocyclus
cellar spiders
Physocyclus is a genus of cellar spiders (family Pholcidae) established by Eugène Louis Simon in 1893. The genus comprises 38 recognized species distributed across multiple continents, with the highest diversity in Mexico. Two distinct species groups are recognized: the globosus group (11 species) and the dugesi group (21 species), distinguished by morphological and biogeographic patterns. The type species, P. globosus, has been widely introduced globally through human activity.
Tidarren sisyphoides
Tent Cobweb Weaver
Tidarren sisyphoides is a tangle web spider (family Theridiidae) known for extreme sexual size dimorphism, with males approximately 10% the size of females. The species exhibits a rare mating system in which males die during copulation and remain attached to females for over two hours, though females do not practice sexual cannibalism. It constructs a distinctive three-dimensional web with a dome-shaped sheet and upper tangle that functions as the primary prey capture structure.
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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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.