Oval saint andrew's cross spider
Female oval Saint Andrew's cross spiders build a white X shaped stabilimentum across their web as adults, though juveniles of the same species weave only a small disc instead.
| Where | Sunny shrubs and forest margins |
|---|---|
| Size | Female 13 to 30 mm, male 4 to 8 mm body length |
| When | February to December |
Females have yellow and black banding across the carapace, with four separate round yellow spots arranged in a line down the abdomen, and silvery hairs adding a pale sheen; males are far smaller and duller brown.
It builds a vertical orb web low in sunny shrubs, forest margins, gardens and farmland from India and Taiwan across Southeast Asia to southern Japan and northern Australia.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Yellow, Black, Grey
Active
Day and night
To people
This spider is not known to bite people; its bright leg banding and X shaped resting pose are a visual display, not a warning of danger.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Females are similar in size but have a plain dark brown carapace and lack the four separate yellow spots arranged in a line that mark the oval Saint Andrew's cross spider's abdomen.
Questions
Is the Oval saint andrew's cross spider dangerous to people?
This spider is not known to bite people; its bright leg banding and X shaped resting pose are a visual display, not a warning of danger.
When can you see the Oval saint andrew's cross spider?
The Oval saint andrew's cross spider can be seen from February to December, by day and at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Harsha Jayaramaiah, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.