Hentz Orb-Weaver, Spotted Orb-Weaver, Barn Spider
Neoscona crucifera
Family Araneidae (Orb-Weavers), Order Araneae. Key family characteristics include building vertical wheel-like webs, possessing eight similar eyes in two rows, and utilizing sticky spiral capture threads.
Physical Description
Robust, stout-bodied spider with a rounded, bulbous abdomen and a distinctively smaller, hairy cephalothorax. The specimen shows typical female orb-weaver proportions with a heavy, swollen abdomen adapted for carrying eggs.
Size Estimate
Body length is approximately 12-18 mm for females, with a leg span reaching up to 30-40 mm. This appears to be a mature female specimen.
Coloration & Markings
Dull brownish-grey to reddish-brown coloration with fine hairs. The abdomen often features subtle mottling, a distinct central cross or leaf-like pattern (folium), and paired dark spots near the rear.
Web Type
Typical vertical orb web constructed at night, consisting of sticky spiral capture threads and a non-sticky structural frame, often measuring over a foot in diameter.
Eye Arrangement
Eight small eyes arranged in two horizontal rows on a raised tubercle on the anterior cephalothorax, typical of the Araneidae family.
Leg Characteristics
Medium length and thickness, covered in fine hairs and prominent spines. Legs display faint dark and light banding and are typically drawn tightly against the body when resting or disturbed.
Venom & Safety Information
Venom Information
Neurotoxic venom specialized for subduing insect prey. It is low in potency and not medically significant to humans.
Medical Significance
Harmless to humans. Bites are extremely rare and typically only occur if the spider is squeezed or trapped against the skin, resulting in mild, localized pain and minor swelling similar to a mosquito bite.
Safety Recommendations
No special safety measures required. If found indoors, it can be gently guided into a container and relocated outside to a garden or porch.
Habitat & Behavior
Habitat & Range
Common across North America, frequently found near lights on buildings, porches, gardens, and wooded edges where prey is abundant.
Behavior & Temperament
Nocturnal web-weaver that often hides in a retreat or at the hub of its web during the day. Docile and non-aggressive, fleeing or dropping to the ground when threatened rather than biting.
Diet & Prey
Feeds primarily on flying nocturnal insects such as moths, beetles, mosquitoes, and flies caught in its vertical orb web.
Seasonal Activity
Most active and commonly seen in late summer and autumn when females reach maximum size and maturity before laying eggs.
Description
The Hentz Orb-Weaver is a familiar and beneficial nocturnal visitor to many homes and gardens. With its robust, rounded brown body and intricate wheel-shaped web, it serves as a master architect and natural pest controller.
Key Features
Bulbous, hairy brown abdomen, distinctive nocturnal web-building habits, prominent spines on legs, and characteristic araneid eye arrangement.
Similar Species
Neoscona domiciliorum (Red-legged Orb-Weaver) which has brighter red legs, and Araneus cavaticus (Barn Spider) which tends to have a lighter, yellower coloration.
Life Cycle
Females construct papery silk egg sacs in protected crevices during autumn, containing hundreds of eggs. Spiderlings emerge in spring, dispersing via ballooning before maturing by late summer.
Ecological Importance
Acts as an essential biological control agent by consuming large quantities of flying agricultural pests and disease-carrying insects.
Conservation Status
Secure and widespread, with stable populations across its native range experiencing no special conservation concerns.
Interesting Facts
Many orb-weavers consume and rebuild their entire webs every single day to recycle silk proteins and maintain stickiness.
Photography Tips
Use a macro lens with a ring flash or side lighting at night when the spider is active in its web to highlight abdominal textures and markings.
Identified: 2026-08-07T03:47:09.254828