Hentz Orb-Weaver, Spotted Orbweaver
Neoscona crucifera
Family Araneidae (Orb-Weavers), Order Araneae. Key family characteristics include building vertical, wheel-like orb webs and having eight eyes arranged in two rows.
Physical Description
The spider has a robust, oval-shaped abdomen that is slightly pointed at the rear, and a smaller, hairy cephalothorax. Females are significantly larger and bulkier than males, with a swollen abdomen adapted for carrying eggs.
Size Estimate
Body length ranges from 10 to 18 millimeters for females, with a leg span of around 30 to 45 millimeters. The specimen shown appears to be a mature adult female.
Coloration & Markings
Base coloration varies from reddish-brown to yellowish-gray. The abdomen typically features a distinct pattern of darker leaf-like markings (folium) and sometimes light spots or a cross-like pattern, which gives the species its scientific epithet.
Web Type
Builds a large, vertical orb web made of sticky silk. These webs are typically constructed in the evening in open spaces, doorways, or porches, and are often taken down and rebuilt nightly.
Eye Arrangement
Eight eyes arranged in two rows of four on the anterior portion of the cephalothorax, typical of the orb-weaver family, with lateral eyes often grouped in pairs.
Leg Characteristics
Legs are moderately long, stout, hairy, and distinctly banded with dark and light rings. They feature spines and are usually spread out widely when resting on the web or vertical surfaces.
Venom & Safety Information
Venom Information
Contains mild neurotoxic venom used primarily to immobilize insect prey. It poses no chemical danger to humans and is specialized for arthropod nervous systems.
Medical Significance
Harmless to humans. Bites are extremely rare, occur only in self-defense if squeezed against the skin, and typically result in mild, localized pain and redness similar to a mosquito bite.
Safety Recommendations
No special safety measures are required as these spiders are harmless. If relocation is necessary, gently guide the spider into a container using a piece of card and release it outdoors.
Habitat & Behavior
Habitat & Range
Found across North America, particularly east of the Rocky Mountains. Prefers wooded edges, gardens, shrubs, and man-made structures like porches and exterior walls where outdoor lights attract prey.
Behavior & Temperament
Docile and non-aggressive. They typically retreat to a nearby hideout or drop from the web when disturbed. They are primarily nocturnal, spending daylight hours hiding near the web edge.
Diet & Prey
Feeds on a wide variety of flying insects, including moths, beetles, mosquitoes, and flies, which become trapped in the sticky spirals of the orb web.
Seasonal Activity
Most active and noticeable during late summer and autumn when adults reach full size and females prepare egg sacs before winter.
Description
The Hentz Orb-Weaver is a familiar and beneficial garden spider known for constructing intricate, wheel-shaped webs near outdoor lights. As nocturnal hunters, they spend their nights waiting patiently in the center of their webs to catch flying insects, providing natural pest control around homes and gardens.
Key Features
Hairy, robust reddish-brown abdomen with a distinct folium (leaf-shaped pattern) or spot markings, large size, and the characteristic vertical orb web built near lights at night.
Similar Species
Can be confused with other spotted orb-weavers such as Neoscona domiciliorum (Barn Orb-Weaver) or Araneus cavaticus (Barn Spider), which differ slightly in specific abdominal markings and color hues.
Life Cycle
Mates in late summer and autumn. Females produce silk-wrapped egg sacs containing hundreds of eggs, which overwinter in sheltered locations. Spiderlings hatch in spring and disperse via ballooning.
Ecological Importance
Acts as an effective natural predator of flying insect populations, helping to control pests like mosquitoes, moths, and agricultural flies.
Conservation Status
Secure and widespread throughout its native range, with stable populations facing no significant conservation threats.
Interesting Facts
Many orb-weavers consume their entire web each morning to recycle the protein-rich silk proteins before building a fresh web the following evening.
Photography Tips
Best photographed at night when the spider is active in the center of its web. Use a macro lens with a flash or external light source to highlight the intricate patterns on the abdomen against the dark background.
Identified: 2026-08-30T19:48:46.804052