Hentz Orb-Weaver, Spotted Orb-Weaver
Neoscona crucifera
Araneidae (Orb-Weavers), Order Araneae. Key family characteristics include building vertical, wheel-like orb webs and having eight similar-sized eyes arranged in two rows.
Physical Description
Robust body with a hairy, rounded abdomen and a distinct cephalothorax. Marked sexual dimorphism is present, with females being significantly larger and heavier-bodied than males.
Size Estimate
Body length ranges from 9 to 18 millimeters for adult females, with a leg span of roughly 25 to 40 millimeters. This specimen appears to be an adult female.
Coloration & Markings
Variable coloration ranging from straw yellow to reddish-brown or dark brown. The abdomen typically features a cross-like pattern or a series of spots and chevrons, often outlined in darker tones.
Web Type
Vertical orb web consisting of sticky spiral threads and non-sticky radial lines, typically constructed at night in open spaces, near porches, or between architectural structures.
Eye Arrangement
Eight small eyes arranged in two distinct rows, typical of the Araneidae family, with lateral eyes often grouped together on small tubercles.
Leg Characteristics
Long, strong legs featuring prominent dark and light banding, covered in fine hairs and spines to assist in prey capture and movement across the web.
Venom & Safety Information
Venom Information
Contains mild neurotoxic venom used strictly to immobilize small insect prey. It is not considered dangerous to humans.
Medical Significance
Harmless to humans. A bite is rare and typically only occurs if the spider is squeezed or trapped against the skin, resulting in minor localized pain and swelling akin to a mild bee sting.
Safety Recommendations
Leave undisturbed when outdoors. If found inside, gently capture the spider under a glass and release it outdoors in a garden or wooded area.
Habitat & Behavior
Habitat & Range
Common throughout North America, particularly the eastern and central regions. Prefers gardens, woodland edges, and the exterior walls of buildings where outdoor lighting attracts flying insects.
Behavior & Temperament
Nocturnal web-builders that often hide in a retreat or sit quietly at the center of the web during the night, sometimes dismantling and rebuilding their webs daily. Very docile and non-aggressive.
Diet & Prey
Feeds primarily on nocturnal flying insects such as moths, beetles, mosquitoes, and flies caught in the sticky spiral of the orb web.
Seasonal Activity
Most active and visible during late summer and autumn when adults reach full size, build prominent webs, and engage in mating.
Description
The Hentz Orb-Weaver is a master architect of the night, spinning large, mesmerizing wheel-shaped webs near human dwellings to catch passing insects. With its robust, patterned body resting securely at the hub, this beneficial arachnid serves as a welcome, silent guardian against household pests.
Key Features
Large, hairy, rounded abdomen with a distinctive cross or spotted pattern; construction of a large vertical orb web; nocturnal habit of resting head-down at the web center.
Similar Species
Other Araneus and Neoscona species, such as the Barn Spider (Araneus cavaticus) or Shamrock Orb-Weaver (Araneus trifolium), which can be distinguished by subtle variations in abdominal markings and coloration.
Life Cycle
Females construct silk egg sacs in sheltered crevices during autumn, containing hundreds of eggs. Spiderlings hatch in spring, dispersing via ballooning before maturing by late summer.
Ecological Importance
Acts as an effective natural predator of flying insect populations, helping to control pests around gardens and homes while serving as a food source for birds and small mammals.
Conservation Status
Not threatened or endangered; stable populations thrive across a wide geographic range.
Interesting Facts
Many orb-weavers consume their own webs daily to recycle the proteins in the silk before spinning a fresh web just before dusk.
Photography Tips
Use a macro lens with a flash or external lighting at night to highlight the intricate details of the web and the dorsal patterns of the spider while it sits at the hub.
Identified: 2026-10-07T09:01:15.140535