Hentz Orb-Weaver, Spotted Orbweaver, Barn Spider
Neoscona crucifera
Family Araneidae (Orb-Weavers), Order Araneae. Key family characteristics include the construction of vertical orb webs, eight similar-sized eyes in a compact cluster, and robust, hairy bodies.
Physical Description
This is a robust, heavy-bodied orb-weaver spider featuring a distinctively large, bulbous abdomen that is rounded and slightly flattened dorsally. The cephalothorax is smaller, covered in dense, short, greyish-brown hairs. This specimen is clearly a gravid adult female, characterized by her vastly swollen abdomen distended with eggs, which dwarfs the cephalothorax.
Size Estimate
Body length is approximately 15 to 20 millimeters for this large female, with a total leg span reaching around 30 to 40 millimeters. This represents a typical adult size for a mature female Neoscona crucifera near the end of the season.
Coloration & Markings
The coloration is earthy, dominated by muted shades of grayish-brown, tan, and olive-green. The dorsal abdomen shows subtle wavy markings, faint transverse lines, and sometimes a vague cross or leaf-like pattern, though this is heavily obscured by the extreme distension of the abdomen. The legs feature distinct dark brown or blackish banding.
Web Type
Builds a classic vertical orb web consisting of sticky spiral threads and non-sticky structural radii. These webs are typically constructed in the evening near porch lights, gardens, or exterior walls, and are often taken down and rebuilt nightly.
Eye Arrangement
Eight small eyes arranged in two rows of four on a dark median tubercle on the front of the carapace, with the lateral eyes often paired closely together.
Leg Characteristics
Legs are moderately long, stout, and densely covered in fine setae and notable spines, which help grip silk and prey. They display characteristic dark and light alternating bands and are typically held in a sprawling posture.
Venom & Safety Information
Venom Information
Neurotoxic venom tailored specifically for immobilizing invertebrate prey. It has virtually no significant effect on human physiology beyond minor, localized discomfort.
Medical Significance
Harmless and medically insignificant. A bite is extremely rare, typically only occurring if the spider is squeezed directly against human skin, resulting in mild pain, redness, or swelling comparable to a mosquito bite.
Safety Recommendations
No action is required as they are completely harmless. If relocation is desired, gently guide the spider into a cup using a piece of cardstock and release it into nearby garden foliage.
Habitat & Behavior
Habitat & Range
Found widely across North America, particularly the eastern and central regions. Prefers wooded edges, gardens, and human structures such as porches, eaves, and exterior walls where outdoor lighting attracts flying insect prey.
Behavior & Temperament
Noxious and nocturnal in web-building and hunting. During daylight hours, they often retreat to a nearby crevice or hang motionless near the edge of the web, adopting a defensive, tucked-in posture if disturbed. They are entirely docile and reluctant to bite.
Diet & Prey
Generalist predator feeding on nocturnal flying insects such as moths, beetles, mosquitoes, and flies captured in its vertical orb web.
Seasonal Activity
Most prominent and visibly active during late summer and autumn when adults reach maximum size and females develop swollen egg-laden abdomens.
Description
The Hentz Orb-Weaver is a familiar and beneficial garden visitor, particularly recognized in the autumn months when females reach their maximum size. With its large, round, heavily laden abdomen and hairy, banded legs, this spider serves as an expert nocturnal architect, spinning magnificent wheel-shaped webs to catch pest insects.
Key Features
Robust, hairy body; large, spherical, tan-to-grey abdomen; banded legs; nocturnal orb-web construction near human structures; characteristic large size of mature females.
Similar Species
Neoscona domiciliorum (Red house spider, which is more reddish-orange) and Araneus diadematus (European garden spider, which features prominent white cross markings on the abdomen).
Life Cycle
Mates in late summer and autumn. Females construct tough, silken egg sacs hidden in protected crevices or foliage, depositing hundreds of eggs before perishing with the first hard frosts. Spiderlings hatch in spring.
Ecological Importance
Acts as a primary natural controller of flying insect populations, helping suppress numbers of mosquitoes, moths, and agricultural pests around homes and gardens.
Conservation Status
Secure and widespread, with stable populations across its native range, benefiting from human-modified environments that provide abundant structural web sites.
Interesting Facts
Many orb-weavers consume their entire web every single morning to recycle the protein-rich silk before spinning a fresh one the following evening.
Photography Tips
Photograph at dusk or night using a macro lens and a diffuser for your flash to highlight the subtle abdominal patterns and leg banding without casting harsh shadows.
Identified: 2026-08-30T02:00:19.949458