Spotted orbweaver
This spider spins a fresh web at dusk and eats the whole thing again by dawn, recycling the silk's protein rather than leaving old thread behind.
| Where | Porches, barns and lit building eaves |
|---|---|
| Size | Female 9.5 to 19.5 mm, male 5 to 13 mm body length |
| When | June to November |
The Spotted orbweaver has a triangular oval abdomen patterned in black, brown and greenish brown in a design likened to an upside down spruce tree, above gray legs ringed with brown. The carapace is gray with brown markings, and males are noticeably smaller than females.
Females emerge at dusk to spin a new wheel shaped web, often near porch lights, barn doors or building eaves where flying insects gather, then dismantle and consume the silk again by sunrise. By day they hide in cracks and corners, becoming active again as the light fades.
Traits
Habitat
Towns
Colour
Brown, Black
Active
Night
To people
This spider is not aggressive and poses no known danger to people; any bite would cause no more than brief local irritation, and it helps control flying insects drawn to lights at night.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
A bright white or yellow cross shaped mark bordered by broad black stripes on the abdomen, with the first leg segment red and the rest banded black and pale gray, unlike the spruce tree pattern of the Spotted orbweaver.
Questions
Is the Spotted orbweaver dangerous to people?
This spider is not aggressive and poses no known danger to people; any bite would cause no more than brief local irritation, and it helps control flying insects drawn to lights at night.
When can you see the Spotted orbweaver?
The Spotted orbweaver can be seen from June to November, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by dhasdf, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Spiders›Orb-weaver spiders›Neoscona
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.