22 Common Types of Orb Weavers (Pictures and Identification)

Orb weavers are some of the most fascinating spiders found in gardens, parks, forests, and grasslands around the world. With nearly 4000 described species, orb weavers are best known for their unique spiral wheel-shaped webs. Let’s explore some of the most common orb weaver species found in the United States.

What are Orb Weavers?

Orb weavers belong to the spider family Araneidae. They are characterized by a colorful, bulbous abdomen, eight eyes, and legs covered in small spines or hairs. The name “orb weaver” comes from the circular, wheel-shaped webs they construct using sticky spiral threads to trap prey.

Female orb weavers do most of the web construction and use the webs primarily for catching food Males are often smaller and may not even build webs as adults After mating, the larger female sometimes eats the male!

1. Yellow Garden Spider

The yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) is probably the most familiar orb weaver in North America. As the name suggests these spiders love building their webs in sunny spots in gardens and fields.

Females have black and yellow or orange markings on their large, round abdomens. Their webs can be over 2 feet wide! Although yellow garden spiders can bite if handled, they pose no threat to people

2. Banded Garden Spider

Argiope trifasciata, also called the banded garden spider, is another common orb weaver. It has light brown or tan coloring with distinct yellow bands around its abdomen and legs.

A neat feature of banded garden spider webs are the “stabilimenta” – decorative silk structures woven into the web. Scientists aren’t sure of their purpose, but they may help warn birds away from flying into the webs.

3. Spotted Orbweaver

There are several species of spotted orbweavers (Neoscona genus) in North America. Most have hairy bodies with variable colors like tan, orange, yellow, or reddish-brown.

Spotted orbweavers build large vertical webs up to 2 feet across in woodlands and near buildings. Their webs help them catch a variety of insects at night when they are most active.

4. Marbled Orbweaver

The marbled orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus) gets its name from the colorful marbling pattern on its round abdomen. Colors can range from orange to yellow with black and white spots.

A cool fact about marbled orbweavers is that they like to build their vertical webs near water. So streams, ponds, and rivers are great places to find these chunky spiders waiting in their webs at night.

5. Arrowhead Orbweaver

Verrucosa arenata is named for the distinct arrowhead shape of its abdomen. The arrowhead orbweaver spins very sturdy webs using multiple anchor points.

Females often have rusty-brown bodies with yellow or white markings forming the “arrowhead” on the back end. They catch insects by entangling them in webbing and then injecting venom to dissolve the prey’s insides.

6. Furrow Orbweaver

The furrow orbweaver (Larinioides cornutus) has an oval abdomen that can be yellow, brown, pink, or gray. They build webs low in vegetation and wait head-down in flowers or leaves for prey to become trapped.

Once mating is complete, female furrow orbweavers sometimes eat the males. The males only live with the females for a few days before being consumed.

7. Spinybacked Orbweaver

Gasteracantha cancriformis and other related species have very unique abdomens with 6 sharp spiny projections. Their bodies are white with black spots, and the spines may have reddish-brown coloration.

Spinybacked orbweavers spin beautiful circular webs to trap insects like beetles and moths. Even though they look intimidating, their venom is not dangerous to humans.

8. Cross Orbweaver

The cross orbweaver (Araneus diadematus) is aptly named for the cross-shaped markings on its abdomen. Native to Europe, it has spread around the world and is now common in North America as well.

This spider spins large, impressive webs up to 2 feet across. During the day, the female hides in a nearby curled up leaf connected to the web by a signal line so she can tell when prey is captured.

9. Orchard Orbweaver

Orchard orbweavers like Leucauge venusta build their webs in more open, horizontal orientations. Their webs often contain a hole in the center where the spider sits, waiting to sprint out and subdue struggling prey.

These spiders have an arrowhead-shaped green abdomen with a flashy silvery patch pointing toward the head. Look for them hanging upside down in their subdued horizontal webs in gardens and orchards.

10. Basilica Orbweaver

The basilica orbweaver (Mecynogea lemniscata) has an elongated body that looks almost rectangular from above. The abdomen is relatively flat with stripes of yellow, green, and white.

Instead of making a new web each day, basilica orbweavers add to and repair the existing web. The intricate webs have a distinctive dome shape rising from a framework of anchor lines.

11. Silver Garden Orbweaver

Argiope argentata is a striking black and white spider found in the southern United States. It has yellow and silver patches on its abdomen, along with black and silver legs.

An interesting feature of silver garden orbweavers is their tendency to incorporate UV-reflective threads into their webs. Scientists think the UV reflections may help attract insect prey.

12. Jorō Spider

The Jorō spider (Trichonephila clavata) is an orb weaver native to several Asian countries. But it has now begun spreading along the southeastern United States after accidental introductions.

Jorō spiders may have positive impacts by preying on invasive stinkbugs and other pest insects. Their golden webs can blanket trees and fill open fields as Jorō populations expand into new areas.

13. Spined Micrathena

Micrathena gracilis and other Micrathena species are tiny orb weavers with spiky, black and white abdomens. They only reach about 1/3 inch in size but build full-sized webs to catch minute insects.

Instead of taking down the entire web each day, these spiders just reconstruct the center where they sit and wait. Then they move to another plant and rebuild after a week or two.

14. Tropical Orbweaver

The aptly named tropical orbweaver (Eriophora ravilla) spins large webs in shrubs and trees across the southern United States from Florida to California. They have marbled green, brown, and yellow abdomens.

Tropical orbweavers rebuild their webs daily at dusk and take them down at dawn. Excellent nocturnal hunters, they catch all kinds of night-flying insects in their webs.

15. Arabesque Orbweaver

The arabesque orbweaver (Neoscona arabesca) has a small black body decorated with white, yellow, orange, and sometimes red markings. The pattern resembles an abstract painting – hence the name “arabesque.”

Arabesque orbweavers have a huge global distribution but are only about 1/4 inch long as adults. Look for their delicate webs in gardens and bushes at night when they do most of their hunting.

16. Marbled Orbweaver

The marbled orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus) gets its name from the colorful marbling pattern on its round abdomen. Colors can range from orange to yellow with black and white spots.

A cool fact about marbled orbweavers is that they like to build their vertical webs near water. So streams, ponds, and rivers are great places to find these chunky spiders waiting in their webs at night.

17. Arrowhead Orbweaver

Verrucosa arenata is named for the distinct arrowhead shape of its abdomen. The arrowhead orbweaver spins very sturdy webs using multiple anchor points.

Females often have rusty-brown bodies with yellow or white markings forming the “arrowhead” on the back end. They catch insects by entangling them in webbing and then injecting venom to dissolve the prey’s insides.

18. Giant Lichen Orbweaver

The giant lichen orbweaver (Araneus bicentenarius) lives up to its name, growing over 1 inch long. It has a green and black hairy body and constructs enormous webs up to 2 feet wide.

Even though it is large, this orb weaver tends to hide during the day and is most active after dark. Look for giant lichen orbweavers in forests along the eastern and central United States as well as Canada.

19. Six-spotted Orbweaver

The diminutive six-spotted orbweaver (Araniella displicata) builds tiny webs only 1-3 inches wide. They have a round green or red abdomen decorated with six yellow, white, or light green spots.

Next time you see a delicate little web with an even more delicate spider hanging out at the center, it just might be a six-spotted orbweaver. Look closely for their telltale spots.

20. Furrow Orbweaver

The furrow orbweaver (Larinioides cornutus) has an oval abdomen that can be yellow, brown, pink, or gray. They build webs low in vegetation and wait head-down in flowers or leaves for prey to become trapped.

Once mating is complete, female furrow orbweavers sometimes eat the males. The males only live with the females for a few days before being consumed.

21. Western Spotted Orbweaver

The western spotted orbweaver (Neoscona oaxacensis) has variable color patterns but often has a reddish-orange abdomen with white spots or stripes down the back. It is primarily found in western North America.

Unlike some spiders, western spotted orbweavers don’t decorate their webs with stabilimenta or zig-zag patterns. But their webs still effectively snare all kinds of insects wandering by.

22. Shamrock Orbweaver

The shamrock orbweaver (Araneus trifolium) is aptly named – its bulbous abdomen is patterned with a pale “shamrock” shape on a dark background. They build a new web each evening after consuming the old one.

Females lay eggs in the fall that overwinter and don’t hatch until the following spring. So look for shamrock orbweaver webs in forests and fields during warmer months.