THE INSECTLIBRARY FIELD GUIDES
Orb Weaver SpiderIdentification, facts & practical guidance
Orb weavers in Araneidae are spiders associated with wheel-shaped capture webs. This family contains many species with very different markings.
Compiled by the InsectLibrary Team · Updated · Editorial policy
Identification and lookalikes
Photograph the web and both sides of the abdomen if visible from a safe distance. A circular web is a useful starting clue, but does not determine the species or even establish Araneidae on its own.
Webs and feeding
The web intercepts flying insects. Web position and rebuilding behavior differ between species, so an observation of one garden spider should not be generalized to the whole family.
What to do next
Leave a web in place if it is not obstructing a walkway. To identify the spider, record its location, approximate body length and the date, along with photographs.
Orb Weaver Spider: species profiles
Explore 147 species profiles covered by this guide, with recorded names and available photos.
Fierce Orbweaver
Araneus saevus
(c) Aedan Rooney, some rights reserved (CC BY)Starbellied Orbweaver
Acanthepeira stellata
Larinia directa
Larinia directa
Bifurcate Trashline Orbweaver
Allocyclosa bifurca
Florida Argiope
Argiope florida
Black-spotted Orbweaver
Araneus miniatus
Rubens Orbweaver
Hypsosinga rubens
Araneus iviei
Araneus iviei
Edricus productus
Edricus productus
Araneus bispinosus
Araneus bispinosus
Araneus bonsallae
Araneus bonsallae
Riparian Duncecap Orbweaver
Eustala cepina
Showing 12 of 147 species. Browse all in Araneae →
Sources and further reading
- ipm.ucanr.edu - spidershttps://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/spiders/
References support the subject discussed here; they do not certify every imported directory record. Regional sources describe their own locations. Read our source and correction policy.