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I'm thinking... Orb Weaver...

Chris2005Chris2005675 Posts: 3,096Member
edited November 2013 in General Discussion #1
However, there are thousands of species, I can't quite figure it out...

Looking at the general characteristics for Orb Weavers, I've come to a high probability that it's an Orb Weaver...

1102648_577636398963297_1927611118_o.jpg

1120049_577612572299013_1410181644_o.jpg

Common traits among some include the rounded abdomen and orange-to-brown and brown or black coloring - though these colors may vary per species.

Habitats can range from grass to corners of homes or under protected porches. Their webs are clearly their operating stage as the Orb Weaver sits in the middle, head facing downwards, waiting for prey to come upon their net.

It is reported that Orb Weavers will re-spin a new web every night. Their proficiency at nighttime hunting and propensity to enjoy insects makes them the ultimate in the way of mosquito zappers. If you find an Orb Weaver near your front door or deck, and it is not in an intimidating area for you or your guests, keep it around and you'll notice the mosquito population dwindle in the dusk-to-nighttime hours.

The reason I suspect it's an Orb Weaver, is because it re-spins its web every night, it's gone by morning and back in the evening... and it's sitting at the center of it's web, facing downward...

However, any other suggestions? :)
Post edited by Chris2005 on
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Posts

  • Chris2005Chris2005675 Posts: 3,096Member
    Not really scifi, but are there any spider people out there?

    This spider's species has been eluding me for months...

    I've narrowed it down to most likely being a member of the superfamily Araneoidea and part of the typical orb-weaver (Araneidae) family, as to what specific species, I don't know, as there are 3,006 known species comprising 168 genera making it the third largest family of spiders known after Salticidae (jumping spiders) and Linyphiidae (sheet weavers or in some places, money spiders), however orb-weavers include over 10,000 species and make up about 25% of spider diversity...

    This particular spider hides during the day under the porch ceiling, then it goes out to the center of it's web by night fall... it sits facing down like an orb weaver, but I can't figure out what species... any ideas?

    1275422_594856690574601_350706355_o.jpg
    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    Gigabyte RTX 3080 Gaming OC 12GB
    1TB NVMe SSD, 2 x 1GB SATA SSD, 4TB external HDD
    32 GB RAM
    Windows 11 Pro
  • Chris2005Chris2005675 Posts: 3,096Member
    Here he/she is in the daytime, I'm leaning more towards "she..." and it looks like she's enjoying something...

    The camera was about 3-5 inches from the spider...

    1269181_595559500504320_1135217565_o.jpg
    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    Gigabyte RTX 3080 Gaming OC 12GB
    1TB NVMe SSD, 2 x 1GB SATA SSD, 4TB external HDD
    32 GB RAM
    Windows 11 Pro
  • MalcolmJensenMalcolmJensen0 Posts: 0Member
    Chris2005 wrote: »
    However, there are thousands of species, I can't quite figure it out...

    Looking at the general characteristics for Orb Weavers, I've come to a high probability that it's an Orb Weaver...

    1102648_577636398963297_1927611118_o.jpg

    1120049_577612572299013_1410181644_o.jpg

    Common traits among some include the rounded abdomen and orange-to-brown and brown or black coloring - though these colors may vary per species.

    Habitats can range from
    solar panel to corners of homes or under protected porches. Their webs are clearly their operating stage as the Orb Weaver sits in the middle, head facing downwards, waiting for prey to come upon their net.

    It is reported that Orb Weavers will re-spin a new web every night. Their proficiency at nighttime hunting and propensity to enjoy insects makes them the ultimate in the way of mosquito zappers. If you find an Orb Weaver near your front door or deck, and it is not in an intimidating area for you or your guests, keep it around and you'll notice the mosquito population dwindle in the dusk-to-nighttime hours.

    The reason I suspect it's an Orb Weaver, is because it re-spins its web every night, it's gone by morning and back in the evening... and it's sitting at the center of it's web, facing downward...

    However, any other suggestions? :)
    Dont have much knowledge about these species.. Were you able to find the answer? It seems you have good amount of knowledge.
  • sorceress21sorceress21269 Posts: 577Member
    100% definitely correct..It's a Common Orb Weaver Neoscona crucifera. This particular spider has dozens of sub-species depending on geographic locale.; They are extremely common in eastern North America. They love decks, awnings and attached home structures for their beautiful webs. They are a very docile and harmless species. You can grab them in your hand and they won't bite. Though I would leave them be. Mostly nocturnal they are a very potent source of pest control for your yard. However if you let their population get too out of control they can attract other predators themselves such as house centipedes. The Orb Weaver and the House Centipede are brutal opponents on par with the Sperm Whale and Giant Squid.
  • Chris2005Chris2005675 Posts: 3,096Member
    100% definitely correct..It's a Common Orb Weaver Neoscona crucifera. This particular spider has dozens of sub-species depending on geographic locale.; They are extremely common in eastern North America. They love decks, awnings and attached home structures for their beautiful webs. They are a very docile and harmless species. You can grab them in your hand and they won't bite. Though I would leave them be. Mostly nocturnal they are a very potent source of pest control for your yard. However if you let their population get too out of control they can attract other predators themselves such as house centipedes. The Orb Weaver and the House Centipede are brutal opponents on par with the Sperm Whale and Giant Squid.

    Well, a week or so ago, this little guy/girl went MIA... not sure if it died or packed up shop and moved elsewhere...
    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
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  • sorceress21sorceress21269 Posts: 577Member
    More likely was eaten by a bat or a bird..
  • Chris2005Chris2005675 Posts: 3,096Member
    More likely was eaten by a bat or a bird..

    Yea, unfortunate... was around for quite a while.
    AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
    Gigabyte RTX 3080 Gaming OC 12GB
    1TB NVMe SSD, 2 x 1GB SATA SSD, 4TB external HDD
    32 GB RAM
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