Spined micrathena
This tiny orbweaver eats her own web at dusk and spins an entirely fresh one at dawn, recycling the silk each day.
| Where | Shaded deciduous forest, often near water |
|---|---|
| Size | Female 8 to 10 mm, male 3 to 5 mm body length |
| When | June to September |
The female spined micrathena has a chunky, almost pyramid shaped whitish to yellowish abdomen mottled with black or brown and ringed by five pairs of black tipped spines, while the much smaller male is flattened, elongated and lacks the spines entirely.
She hangs upside down at the hub of a small orb web strung across trails and openings in the forest understory, feeding mostly on small flies, and moves her web to a new site roughly every six to seven days.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
White, Black, Brown
Active
Day
To people
This spider's venom poses no risk to people and it hardly ever bites; its abdominal spines can only prick the skin if the spider is pressed directly against it.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Has a bright yellow abdomen with only three pairs of spines forming a triangular, arrow like shape, while the spined micrathena has a whitish abdomen mottled with black or brown and five pairs of spines.
Questions
Is the Spined micrathena dangerous to people?
This spider's venom poses no risk to people and it hardly ever bites; its abdominal spines can only prick the skin if the spider is pressed directly against it.
When can you see the Spined micrathena?
The Spined micrathena can be seen from June to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by sdroege, CC0, iNaturalist Licence
Report a mistake in this entry
Spiders›Orb-weaver spiders›Micrathena
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.