Orchard orbweaver
This spider's legs are so much longer than its body that they make it look two or three times its actual size as it hangs beneath its web.
| Where | Woodland edges, meadows and shrubby gardens |
|---|---|
| Size | Female 5.5 to 7.5 mm, male 3.5 to 4 mm body length |
| When | April to September |
The Orchard orbweaver has a small, elongated abdomen colored silvery green above with a scattering of yellow, orange or red spots near the rear, and pale green legs that are far longer than the body itself. The underside of the front body section is spotted with yellow and black.
It spins a nearly flat, horizontal orb low among shrubs and low branches and hangs beneath the hub by day waiting for small flying insects. It is common in woodland edges, meadows, hedges and shrubby gardens through spring and summer across the eastern half of the continent.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Green, Yellow, Metallic
Active
Day
To people
This small spider does not defend itself by biting and is not known to pose any risk to people, sitting quietly beneath its web in gardens and woodland edges.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
A pearly white to silvery body marked with black lines and a reddish bowtie shaped mark on the abdomen, rather than the green sided body with a silvery, brown streaked top of the Orchard orbweaver.
Questions
Is the Orchard orbweaver dangerous to people?
This small spider does not defend itself by biting and is not known to pose any risk to people, sitting quietly beneath its web in gardens and woodland edges.
When can you see the Orchard orbweaver?
The Orchard orbweaver can be seen from April to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Matthew Gerke, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Spiders›Long-jawed orb weavers›Leucauge
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.