Shaded orbweaver
Rather than fleeing the dark, this orb weaver spins its web right at the entrance of caves, cellars and hollow trees, wherever the air stays damp.
| Where | Damp caves, rocks and streamside crevices |
|---|---|
| Size | Female 7.3 to 12 mm, male 7.5 to 8 mm body length |
| When | January to December |
The abdomen ranges from greenish to brownish or almost black, with a faint darker pattern down the middle, while the legs are yellowish green marked with black rings and spots. It is a slim, long legged spider typical of its family.
Webs are spun at cave mouths, in cellars, hollow trees and old burrows, always somewhere the air stays humid, which keeps this species active through every month of the year rather than just one season.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Green, Brown, Black
Active
Day and night
To people
This cave dwelling spider is not dangerous to people and rarely leaves its damp retreat to encounter anyone.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Has a bright yellow, red and orange abdomen with a black fork shaped mark on the carapace, quite unlike the greenish to almost black, unmarked abdomen of the shaded orbweaver.
Questions
Is the Shaded orbweaver dangerous to people?
This cave dwelling spider is not dangerous to people and rarely leaves its damp retreat to encounter anyone.
When can you see the Shaded orbweaver?
The Shaded orbweaver can be seen from January to December, by day and at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Andrejus Gaidamavičius, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Spiders›Long-jawed orb weavers›Metellina
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.