Cricket-bat orbweaver
This small orb weaver carries a pattern on its abdomen that field guides compare to the shape of a cricket bat, giving the species its common name.
| Where | Heather and gorse in heathland |
|---|---|
| Size | Female 4.5 to 6 mm, male 3 to 3.5 mm body length |
| When | March to October |
The Cricket-bat orbweaver is a small orb weaver with a light greenish head region edged in black and a pale yellowish abdomen marked with rows of black spots that run into longitudinal stripes, resembling the shape of a cricket bat. The underside is mostly black with two pairs of yellow spots.
It spins a small, densely woven orb web low down among heather, gorse and other low vegetation on heathland and in open woodland, sitting in the centre of the web to intercept small flying insects.
Traits
Habitat
Heath
Colour
Green, Yellow, Black
Active
Day
To people
Not dangerous to people; it stays in its small web among low vegetation and does not bite.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Distinctly green with a red mark near the tip of the abdomen and orange legs, lacking the Cricket-bat orbweaver's pale cricket-bat shaped pattern and rows of black spots.
Questions
Is the Cricket-bat orbweaver dangerous to people?
Not dangerous to people; it stays in its small web among low vegetation and does not bite.
When can you see the Cricket-bat orbweaver?
The Cricket-bat orbweaver can be seen from March to October, by day.
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›Mangora
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.