Arrowhead orbweaver
This is one of the few large orb weavers that rests head up in its web, its triangular abdomen patch shaped like an arrowhead.
| Where | Woodland edges across eastern North America |
|---|---|
| Size | Female 7 to 14 mm, male 4 to 6 mm body length |
| When | June to October |
The arrowhead orbweaver has a triangular abdomen tipped like the point of an arrow, covered by a broad white, pink or yellow patch, while the carapace and legs range from black to rusty red. Males are smaller than females.
It spins a small, delicate wheel shaped web in shaded woodland edges and trail corridors, specializing in tiny flying insects such as mosquitoes. Found across the United States and Canada, it is most often seen in late summer and early autumn and poses no risk to people.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
White, Brown, Black
Active
Day and night
To people
Poses no risk to people and is not known to bite defensively.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Has spiky black and red tipped tubercles forming the points of its triangular abdomen, rather than the smooth, unspined triangular patch of the arrowhead orbweaver.
Questions
Is the Arrowhead orbweaver dangerous to people?
Poses no risk to people and is not known to bite defensively.
When can you see the Arrowhead orbweaver?
The Arrowhead orbweaver can be seen from June to October, by day and at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Douglas Hooper, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Spiders›Orb-weaver spiders›Verrucosa
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.