This record describes Araneus saevus (species). Recorded family: Araneidae. Recorded order: Araneae.
Identification and Appearance
(c) Aedan Rooney, some rights reserved (CC BY). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/403928251
It is apparently quite consistent in color and pattern, being dark gray with a large, broad white slash down the front of the abdomen. - Terry Thormin Light-colored specimens of this species also occur:
Wikipedia reference for Araneus saevus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araneus_saevus.
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Forests, usually found on trees
Geographic Range
This is a northern species found from Newfoundland south to New York and west to Oregon. In the west it has been found as far south as Utah and Colorado in the mountains.
About Spiders: the wider group
Order-level background for Araneae, the group containing Araneus saevus. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
As of 2023, 51,673 spider species in 136 families have been recorded, though an estimated 150,000 species exist. Spiders rank 7th in total species diversity among all organism orders. Only 0.5% of spider species pose any risk to human health.
Ecological role of the group
Spider venom contains complex peptides with diverse pharmacological activities, making them valuable for drug development research. Spiders produce up to 7 types of silk from specialized glands. Spider silk genes have been inserted into mammals and plants for biotech applications.
Economic and practical significance of the group
The global spider community kills an estimated 400-800 million tons of prey annually (2017 study). Spiders provide billions of dollars in natural pest control for agriculture. Spider silk is 5× stronger than steel of the same diameter, driving a biomaterials research industry.
Recorded sources for this group: World Spider Catalog, PNAS, Nature, ScienceDirect. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
(c) Aedan Rooney, some rights reserved (CC BY). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/403928251(c) corndog, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by corndog | (c) jmrobertia, all rights reserved, uploaded by jmrobertia | (c) Danny O'Shea, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Danny O'Shea | (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Judy Gallagher | (c) Jerry Cannon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jerry Cannon | (c) Denis Doucet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Denis Doucet | (c) J. Maughn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) | (c) horseblind, all rights reserved, uploaded by horseblind | Contributed by Chris Wirth; Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott , Jeff Hollenbeck , cheins , Chuck Entz , jsloan(c) corndog, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by corndog | (c) jmrobertia, all rights reserved, uploaded by jmrobertia | (c) Danny O'Shea, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Danny O'Shea | (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Judy Gallagher | (c) Jerry Cannon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jerry Cannon | (c) Denis Doucet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Denis Doucet | (c) J. Maughn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) | (c) horseblind, all rights reserved, uploaded by horseblind | Contributed by Chris Wirth; Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott , Jeff Hollenbeck , cheins , Chuck Entz , jsloan(c) corndog, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by corndog | (c) jmrobertia, all rights reserved, uploaded by jmrobertia | (c) Danny O'Shea, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Danny O'Shea | (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Judy Gallagher | (c) Jerry Cannon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jerry Cannon | (c) Denis Doucet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Denis Doucet | (c) J. Maughn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) | (c) horseblind, all rights reserved, uploaded by horseblind | Contributed by Chris Wirth; Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott , Jeff Hollenbeck , cheins , Chuck Entz , jsloan(c) corndog, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by corndog | (c) jmrobertia, all rights reserved, uploaded by jmrobertia | (c) Danny O'Shea, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Danny O'Shea | (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Judy Gallagher | (c) Jerry Cannon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jerry Cannon | (c) Denis Doucet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Denis Doucet | (c) J. Maughn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) | (c) horseblind, all rights reserved, uploaded by horseblind | Contributed by Chris Wirth; Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott , Jeff Hollenbeck , cheins , Chuck Entz , jsloan(c) corndog, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by corndog | (c) jmrobertia, all rights reserved, uploaded by jmrobertia | (c) Danny O'Shea, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Danny O'Shea | (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Judy Gallagher | (c) Jerry Cannon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jerry Cannon | (c) Denis Doucet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Denis Doucet | (c) J. Maughn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) | (c) horseblind, all rights reserved, uploaded by horseblind | Contributed by Chris Wirth; Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott , Jeff Hollenbeck , cheins , Chuck Entz , jsloan(c) corndog, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by corndog | (c) jmrobertia, all rights reserved, uploaded by jmrobertia | (c) Danny O'Shea, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Danny O'Shea | (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Judy Gallagher | (c) Jerry Cannon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jerry Cannon | (c) Denis Doucet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Denis Doucet | (c) J. Maughn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) | (c) horseblind, all rights reserved, uploaded by horseblind | Contributed by Chris Wirth; Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott , Jeff Hollenbeck , cheins , Chuck Entz , jsloan(c) corndog, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by corndog | (c) jmrobertia, all rights reserved, uploaded by jmrobertia | (c) Danny O'Shea, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Danny O'Shea | (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Judy Gallagher | (c) Jerry Cannon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jerry Cannon | (c) Denis Doucet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Denis Doucet | (c) J. Maughn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) | (c) horseblind, all rights reserved, uploaded by horseblind | Contributed by Chris Wirth; Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott , Jeff Hollenbeck , cheins , Chuck Entz , jsloan
Photo credits: (c) corndog, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by corndog | (c) jmrobertia, all rights reserved, uploaded by jmrobertia | (c) Danny O'Shea, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Danny O'Shea | (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Judy Gallagher | (c) Jerry Cannon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jerry Cannon | (c) Denis Doucet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Denis Doucet | (c) J. Maughn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) | (c) horseblind, all rights reserved, uploaded by horseblind | Contributed by Chris Wirth; Additional contributions by Lynette Elliott , Jeff Hollenbeck , cheins , Chuck Entz , jsloan
Frequently Asked Questions About Fierce Orbweaver
What is Fierce Orbweaver?
Fierce Orbweaver (Araneus saevus) is a species in the family Araneidae, within the order Araneae.
How big is Fierce Orbweaver?
Female to 14 mm, Male to 15 mm.
How do you identify Fierce Orbweaver?
It is apparently quite consistent in color and pattern, being dark gray with a large, broad white slash down the front of the abdomen. - Terry Thormin Light-colored specimens of this species also occur:
Where is Fierce Orbweaver found?
Feature
Details
Habitat
Forests, usually found on trees
Range
This is a northern species found from Newfoundland south to New York and west to Oregon. In the west it has been found as far south as Utah and Colorado in the mountains.
