Four-spot orbweaver
The four white spots on this orb weaver's abdomen stay constant even though its background colour can shift from green to orange or red as conditions change.
| Where | Damp grassy meadows and hedgerows |
|---|---|
| Size | Female 10.5 to 20.5 mm, male 7 to 11 mm body length |
| When | July to October |
The Four-spot orbweaver is a large, round bodied orb weaver whose four white spots on the abdomen remain the clearest field mark even though the background colour is highly variable, ranging from pale green through yellow to deep reddish brown. The legs are banded and the carapace carries a broad pale central band.
It builds an orb web slung low between plants in damp grassy meadows, with a silk tent like retreat to one side where it hides during the day. Females become noticeably heavier when carrying eggs, sometimes reaching close to their maximum recorded size.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Brown, Orange, White
Active
Night
To people
Not dangerous to people; it stays in its web or retreat and does not bite.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Carries a bold white cross of spots on the abdomen rather than the Four-spot orbweaver's four separate white spots, and does not build a silk retreat beside its web.
Questions
Is the Four-spot orbweaver dangerous to people?
Not dangerous to people; it stays in its web or retreat and does not bite.
When can you see the Four-spot orbweaver?
The Four-spot orbweaver can be seen from July to October, at night.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Spiders›Orb-weaver spiders›Araneus
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.