Arabesque Orb-Weaver	Jumping Spider	Green Lynx Spider
Banana Spider	Garden Spider	Foliate Spider
Grass Spiders	Spiny Orb Weaver	Orchard Weaver
Basilica Spider	Black Widow

Arabesque Orb-Weaver Top Of Page

The arabesque orb weaver (Neoscona arabesca) is a common spider found throughout North America. Its name is derived from the swirling, brightly colored markings on its abdomen, which resemble arabesque patterns. These spiders are known for constructing intricate, wheel-shaped webs to catch their prey.

• Appearance: These spiders are known for the distinctive, brightly colored, swirling or “arabesque” markings on their abdomens, which can vary in color from tan to yellow, orange, rusty, brown, or even blackish brown. Females are generally larger than males, with females measuring around 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) and males 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) in body length. Their legs are often spiny and pale with darker bands.
• Web: The arabesque orb weaver constructs a classic, wheel-shaped web to capture its prey, typically flying insects like moths, flies, and mosquitoes. The web is usually built vertically and measures 15–45 cm (5.9–17.7 in) in diameter. At night, the female spider sits in the open hub of the web with the tip of her abdomen protruding through. During the day, she hides in a retreat, often a curled leaf, near the web.
• Habitat: You can find these spiders in a variety of habitats, including fields, forests, gardens, and even on human structures. They are particularly common in areas with tall grasses, bushes, and around buildings like houses and barns.
• Diet: Their primary diet consists of flying insects that get caught in their sticky webs. Larger orb weavers, including some species within the broader orb weaver group (Family Araneidae), may even prey on small frogs and hummingbirds, according to Northwest Exterminating.
• Behavior and Interactions with Humans: Arabesque orb weavers are generally non-aggressive towards humans and typically bite only when threatened or unable to escape. Their bites are not considered medically significant and are often compared to a bee sting, resulting in localized pain, redness, and swelling that typically resolves on its own. 

Jumping Spider Top Of Page

Jumping spiders are a captivating and diverse group of spiders that belong to the family Salticidae. They are the largest family of spiders, encompassing over 6,000 described species.

• Exceptional Vision: Jumping spiders possess some of the best eyesight among arthropods, featuring four pairs of eyes that provide them with remarkable depth perception and a nearly 360-degree field of view. This enables them to be highly effective predators and navigators.
• Jumping Prowess: Their name comes from their impressive jumping ability, which they use for hunting, escaping danger, and navigating their environment. They can leap many times their body length using a unique hydraulic system that extends their legs.
• Active Hunters: Unlike many spiders that build webs to catch prey, jumping spiders actively hunt during the day, relying on their sharp vision and agility to stalk and pounce on their prey.
• Silk for Safety and Shelter: They utilize silk for safety lines during jumps, creating shelters, laying eggs, and sometimes even for mating rituals.
• Intelligent and Curious: Jumping spiders are known for their intelligence and curious nature, often approaching new objects to investigate. Some researchers even consider them the most intelligent arthropods due to their problem-solving abilities.
• Diverse Habitats: They can be found in a wide array of habitats worldwide, from tropical forests to deserts and even human dwellings. They prefer areas with plenty of sunlight for hunting and navigation. 

Some common jumping spider species include:

• Bold Jumper (Phidippus audax): One of the most recognizable and widespread species in North America, known for its bold hunting behavior and striking black and white coloration.
• Regal Jumping Spider (Phidippus regius): A popular pet species, known for its relatively large size and varying colors depending on its geographical location.
• Zebra Jumper (Salticus scenicus): A smaller species with a striped appearance, often found in grassy areas. 

Jumping spiders are generally not considered dangerous to humans. Their venom is not potent enough to cause harm to humans, and they typically only bite if they feel threatened or cornered. A bite might result in mild symptoms similar to a mosquito bite. In fact, some people even keep jumping spiders as pets due to their fascinating behaviors and friendly nature. 

Green Lynx Spider Top Of Page

The green lynx spider (Peucetia viridans) is a large, vibrant green spider found across the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. This diurnal (day-active) predator is known for its agility and keen eyesight, which it uses to hunt insects and other arthropods on plants. 

• Color: Bright green, blending seamlessly with foliage.
• Size: Females are larger (12-22 mm) than males (average 12 mm).
• Legs: Long, thin, and pale green to yellow, covered with prominent black spines.
• Eyes: Eight eyes arranged in a distinctive hexagonal pattern on the cephalothorax (head and thorax combined).
• Other features: Often have red spots or diagonal silver markings on the abdomen, with a red patch between the eyes covered in white hairs. 

• Green lynx spiders are ambush predators that don’t construct traditional webs for catching prey.
• They prefer to wait patiently on leaves and flowers, relying on their excellent camouflage to hide and pounce on unsuspecting insects that come to feed on nectar or pollen.
• When hunting, they are remarkably agile, running and leaping from place to place with impressive precision, trailing a single dragline of silk for navigation and safety.
• They are commonly found on low shrubs and herbaceous vegetation in open habitats like meadows, prairies, farms, and gardens.
• Females aggressively guard their egg sacs, often hanging upside down from the sac and charging at anything they perceive as a threat. 

• They are carnivorous, feeding on a wide variety of insects, including flies, bees, wasps, and grasshoppers.
• They have also been observed feeding on important crop pests like corn earworm moths, cotton leafworm moths, and cabbage looper moths.
• However, they are generalist predators and also prey on beneficial insects like honey bees and other pollinators. 

• Green lynx spiders typically have one generation per year.
• Females lay eggs in the fall, enclosed within a spherical silk egg sac.
• The eggs, which are bright orange, hatch in about two weeks, but the spiderlings remain in the egg sac for another 10 to 16 days before molting and emerging.
• Spiderlings overwinter and mature into adults during the summer.
• Green lynx spiders have a relatively short lifespan, generally living for only one year. 

• Green lynx spiders possess venom, which they use to immobilize their prey.
• They can also eject or spit venom defensively, reportedly for distances of up to 20 cm.
• Despite their aggressive hunting style and venom spitting, green lynx spiders are not considered dangerous to humans.
• Bites are rare and typically only occur when the spiders are provoked or when females are guarding their egg sacs.
• Symptoms of a green lynx spider bite usually involve local pain, itching, redness, and swelling, but no serious medical complications are expected.
• One reported case of a soldier sprayed in the eye resulted in temporary chemical conjunctivitis and impaired vision, which cleared up after two days. 

• They can be beneficial in gardens and agricultural settings by preying on certain crop pests.
• However, their generalist feeding habits mean they can also prey on beneficial insects, such as pollinators like honey bees. 

The “arrow-shaped orb weaver” likely refers to the arrow-shaped micrathena (Micrathena sagittata). This is a fascinating spider species known for its distinctive appearance. 

Here’s what makes the arrow-shaped micrathena unique:

• Appearance: Females are larger and more colorful than males, featuring a striking, largely yellow abdomen with black depressions and reddish and black patterning below.
• Shape: The abdomen of the female spiders has three pairs of tubercles, or small bumps. The pair at the rear is notably larger and points outward, creating the characteristic arrow-shaped or triangular appearance. Some describe its shape as resembling a “Flying V” electric guitar or even the head of the Pokémon character Pikachu.
• Webs: As orb weavers, they construct intricate, circular webs, typically placed vertically between trees or shrubs, according to Our Breathing Planet. They often incorporate a stabilimentum, or zigzag pattern of silk, into their webs. They are known for rebuilding their webs regularly, sometimes daily.
• Habitat: These spiders are commonly found in the eastern United States and throughout Central America, favoring open woodlands, gardens, yards, and parks. They are most active during warmer weather, particularly in the summer and late spring months.
• Diet: Arrow-shaped micrathenas primarily feed on small flying insects such as flies, mosquitoes, and moths, which they catch in the sticky strands of their webs.
• Safety: Despite their somewhat intimidating appearance, these spiders are not considered medically important and are generally harmless to humans. Bites are rare and usually occur only if the spider feels threatened and cannot escape. The venom is mild, similar to a bee sting, and typically causes only localized redness and swelling, according to Picture Insect.
• Ecological Role: They play a valuable role in the ecosystem by helping to control populations of insects. Birds and other animals also prey on them and steal trapped insects from their webs.

Orchard Orb Weaver Top Of Page

The orchard orbweaver (Leucauge venusta) is a small, colorful spider known for its distinctive orb-shaped web and beautiful markings. 

• Body: Small, delicate body, typically measuring ⅛ to ¼ inch (3-7 mm) in length (females are larger than males).
• Coloration: Green or yellowish-green abdomen and a white or cream-colored cephalothorax (head and thorax combined). The abdomen often features a pattern of black or dark brown markings, and some individuals may have yellow areas on the sides. The underside of the abdomen can be quite colorful, with variations of silver, green, yellow, red, and blue. There’s typically a yellow, orange, or red crescent on the belly. The legs are long, slender, and green or greenish-black, often with black bands at the joints.
• Distinguishing Feature: The reddish-orange triangular markings on the ventral (underside) of the abdomen differentiate Leucauge species from other spiders in the family Tetragnathidae.

• Web: Orchard orbweavers spin circular webs that are typically positioned horizontally or at an angle to the ground. The spider usually rests upside down in the center of the web. These webs can measure up to a foot in diameter. 

• Orchard orbweavers are common in low bushes, damp woodlands, shrubby meadows, gardens, and orchards, particularly throughout the eastern United States and Canada, reaching into the central U.S.
• They are also found in urban areas and shaded human-made structures, including between hedges and houses under overhanging eaves.
• Female orchard orbweavers construct their webs in low vegetation, sometimes extending to small trees.
• They can be found throughout the year, but are often more noticeable in late summer and fall. 

• Orchard orbweavers are sedentary hunters, waiting in their webs for prey to be trapped.
• Their diet consists primarily of small flying or jumping insects such as flies, beetles, mosquitoes, moths, and aphids.
• They construct a new web each morning in the pre-dawn darkness and often consume the web at night to reabsorb moisture from dew.
• Orchard orbweavers are typically shy and, when alarmed, will drop from their webs, often disappearing into the leaf litter. 

• Orchard orbweavers typically live for about one year.
• Females lay eggs in late summer or fall, encased in a fluffy, orange-white silk egg sac, often attached to a nearby leaf or twig.
• Spiderlings hatch and overwinter in the egg sac, emerging in the spring.
• Males are considerably smaller than females and are primarily responsible for mating. 

• Orchard orbweavers are not considered dangerous to humans or pets.
• They are not aggressive and will rarely bite unless threatened, such as when accidentally handled or trapped.
• Their venom is mild and, though it can cause a bite comparable to a bee sting, does not pose a serious threat to humans.
• They are considered beneficial because they prey on insects that can be pests in gardens and homes, including mosquitoes and beetles.

Basilica Spider Top Of Page

• Appearance: They are about a half-inch long, with a body that is typically brown, but their abdomen can be quite striking. The dorsal (back) side of the abdomen often has white wavy lines along the edges, with narrow red bands inside, and black and yellow markings in the middle. Some may also have red lines on the abdomen.
• Web Structure: The basilica orbweaver’s web is distinctive, characterized by its dome-like shape, which is how it earned its common name. The web can span up to 20 inches. While the adult web is domed, the spiderlings create perfect orb webs, like a circular spiral, according to Insect Identification.org. The adult web forms the dome by attaching threads above and below the web, notes SNJ Today.
• Habitat: These spiders are found in a range from the United States to Argentina. In the US, their range extends from the District of Columbia south to Florida and west to Colorado. They are typically found in forest understories and bushes. You might also find them in your garden, weaving their webs between plants.
• Behavior: Like many orbweavers, they are generally not aggressive towards humans and their venom is not considered medically significant. Their bite is comparable to a bee sting, unless there’s an allergic reaction. They primarily prey on flying insects like flies, moths, beetles, and mosquitoes.
• Reproduction: Female basilica orbweavers create egg sacs that are attached vertically to each other and resemble strings of beads. They will even wrap the old web around the egg masses for added protection. 

Banana Spider Top Of Page

1. Golden Silk Orb-Weaver (Trichonephila clavipes):
   • Found in the southeastern United States, including Florida, and extends as far north as North Carolina.
   • Known for its vibrant yellow body and impressive, large webs with a golden sheen.
   • Females are significantly larger than males, reaching up to 3 inches in body length.
   • Their bite is considered mildly venomous, causing pain similar to a bee sting, but it’s not dangerous to humans unless there’s an allergic reaction.

• Golden Silk Orb-Weavers: Look for yellow or golden-colored abdomens with dark banding on their legs, and large, golden-colored webs.

Garden Spider Top Of Page

The yellow garden spider, Argiope aurantia, is a common orb-weaver spider found across much of North and Central America. It is also known by names such as black and yellow garden spider, writing spider, or zigzag spider. 

Female yellow garden spiders are significantly larger than males, measuring 19 to 28 mm (0.75 to 1.1 inches) with shiny black abdomens marked with bright yellow or orange. Their cephalothorax is covered in silvery hairs. Males are smaller, typically 5 to 9 mm (0.20 to 0.35 inches), and tend to be more brown. 

These spiders build large, circular webs, up to two feet wide, in gardens, meadows, and woodlands, often in sunny spots near water. A notable feature is the stabilimentum, a zigzag pattern in the center of the web, believed to potentially help birds see the web or provide stability. The spider may vibrate the web when disturbed or drop to the ground. Webs are typically eaten and rebuilt nightly. 

Yellow garden spiders are carnivores that prey on insects caught in their webs, including flies, mosquitoes, moths, bees, wasps, and grasshoppers. They bite and inject venom to paralyze prey, then wrap it in silk for later consumption. They detect prey through web vibrations. 

Mating occurs once a year. Females lay one to three egg sacs containing hundreds of eggs, attaching them to the web. Spiderlings hatch in late summer or fall and may overwinter in the egg sac or hatch the same year in warmer climates. The average lifespan is about one year, with females typically dying after the first hard frost and males often dying after mating. 

Yellow garden spiders are generally harmless to humans and pets, only biting if threatened. Their mild venom is comparable to a bee sting. They are beneficial in gardens as natural pest control, reducing insect populations without pesticides. Sources recommend welcoming them to gardens. 

Foliate Spider Top Of Page

• Size: Females can reach a body length of about 6-14 mm, while males are slightly smaller at 5-9 mm. Their leg spans can range from 18 to 35 mm.
• Appearance: These spiders are characterized by their large, oval-shaped, and bulbous abdomens. Their color varies and can be black, grey, or shades of red. A lighter shaded arrow typically points toward the cephalothorax on the abdomen’s carapace, and the legs also display a similar arrow pattern.
• Eye structure: They have a horizontal row of six eyes, with an additional pair above the center of the row.
• Sensory abilities: While spiders lack ears, foliate spiders can sense sound through macrosetae and filiform hairs on their legs. 

• Foliate spiders prefer moist environments, particularly near water bodies.
• They construct their orb-shaped webs between grass or in low shrubbery.
• During the day, they retreat to a silken hideaway masked with plant and animal matter, emerging at night to remade their webs. They can also be found building webs on human structures like bridges, under eaves, or near porch lights.
• These spiders do not hibernate and exhibit seasonal resistance, with their supercooling point dropping from -8 °C in summer to -20 °C in winter. 

• Foliate spiders are nocturnal hunters, typically remaining in their webs at night and retreating to their silken shelters during the day.
• They prey on various flying insects, including gnats, mosquitoes, damselflies, moths, and more.
• When prey is caught in the web, the spider senses the vibrations, wraps the prey in silk, bites it to paralyze it, and then may store it or move it to a hiding spot to be consumed.

Spiny Orb-Weaver Top Of Page

• Appearance: Spiny orb weavers are characterized by their flattened, oval abdomens, adorned with prominent, pointed spines. The abdomen can be white, yellow, or orange, with black spots and red or black spines depending on the specific specimen. Their carapace, legs, and underside are black, with some white spots under the abdomen. The genus name, Gasteracantha, literally means “belly thorn” or “spiny belly,” referring to these spines.
• Size: Females are considerably larger than males, reaching lengths of 5-9 millimeters (0.20-0.35 inches) and widths of 10-13 millimeters (0.39-0.51 inches). Males are much smaller, only 2-3 millimeters (0.08-0.12 inches) long, and lack the prominent spines of the females, having only four or five smaller humps on their abdomen.
• Webs: They spin intricate orb-shaped webs, which can be quite large, up to 10-12 inches (30 cm) in diameter, and can have as many as 30 radii (radial threads). Some species even incorporate conspicuous tufts of silk into their webs, possibly to warn birds and prevent damage. 

• Geographic Range: Spiny orb weavers are widely distributed in the New World, inhabiting the southern United States, Central America, and the Caribbean.
• Preferred Habitats: They favor environments with ample vegetation, such as woodland edges, gardens, and citrus groves, where they can readily anchor their webs between branches and plants. 

• Prey: Like other orb weavers, they are carnivorous predators that rely on their webs to trap unsuspecting prey.
• Feeding: Their diet consists primarily of small flying insects, including flies, mosquitoes, beetles, moths, and other garden pests. When prey becomes ensnared in their sticky webs, the spiders quickly immobilize and consume the liquefied insides of the insects. They then discard the exoskeletons from their webs. 

• Reproduction: The lifespan of spiny orb weavers is relatively short, typically lasting about one year. Males usually die within six days of fertilizing the female’s eggs. Females lay their eggs in a silken egg case, which can contain 100-250 eggs, and attach it to the underside of a leaf or other surface near the web. After laying her eggs, the female dies.
• Spiderling Development: The eggs hatch after about 11-13 days, but the tiny spiderlings remain inside the egg case for several weeks until they are mature enough to disperse and build their own webs. 

Black Widow Spider Top Of Page

• Female: The most recognizable black widow is the female, characterized by a shiny black body and a distinctive red hourglass marking on the underside of her abdomen.
• Males: Male black widows are smaller and typically brown or gray, lacking the prominent red hourglass, though they may have some red or white markings. 

• Location: Black widows are found throughout the United States, especially in the South and West. They are also prevalent in temperate and subtropical climates worldwide.
• Preferred areas: They favor dark, secluded, and undisturbed spaces, both indoors and outdoors. You might find them in woodpiles, sheds, garages, stone walls, under logs, or in cluttered areas of basements and crawl spaces. 

• Venom: The venom contains a neurotoxin called alpha-latrotoxin.
• Severity: While the venom is potent, black widow bites are rarely fatal, especially with modern medical treatment. However, bites can cause a range of symptoms and should be taken seriously.
• Symptoms:
  • Initial: A sharp, pinprick-like pain at the bite site.
  • Later: Muscle pain and cramps (especially in the chest and abdomen), nausea, headache, increased blood pressure, sweating, and restlessness.
  • Severe cases: In some instances, a black widow bite can lead to a more severe systemic reaction known as “latrodectism”, characterized by widespread pain, rigidity, and autonomic disturbances.
• Risk factors: Young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised health may experience more severe reactions. 

Grass Spiders Top Of Page

• Color: Often yellow, brown, or cream-colored, with two dark brownish bands running lengthwise across their cephalothorax (fused head and thorax) and abdomen.
• Size: Average ½ to ¾ inch (1.27 to 1.9 cm) in body length, excluding legs, with females generally larger than males.
• Web: Recognizable by their funnel-shaped webs, which are a flat sheet leading to a funnel-like retreat where the spider waits for prey.
• Other Features: They possess eight eyes arranged in three rows and have prominent spinnerets at the end of their abdomen, used for silk production. 

• Nocturnal Hunters: Grass spiders are primarily active at night, allowing them to avoid predators and ambush prey more effectively.
• Web Use: Unlike some spiders that rely on sticky webs, grass spiders’ webs are not adhesive. Instead, the web acts as a trap, and the spider’s speed allows it to quickly capture prey that wanders onto the web.
• Diet: They are carnivorous and prey on small insects found in their habitat.
• Life Cycle: Grass spiders typically have a lifespan of about one year. Males die shortly after mating, and females lay an egg sac in late summer or fall, dying soon after. The spiderlings hatch in the spring and disperse to build their own webs. 

• Harmless to Humans: Grass spiders are not aggressive and rarely bite, unless threatened. Their venom is not harmful to humans and bites are usually no more severe than a bee sting, causing only mild swelling and discomfort.
• Pest Control: Their predation on common insects can help control pest populations in yards and gardens, making them beneficial for homeowners.
• Infestations: While primarily outdoor creatures, grass spiders may occasionally wander indoors, particularly when seeking shelter from colder weather. Infestations can occur if conditions are favorable, such as the presence of abundant prey insects or undisturbed areas for web-building.
• Prevention: Maintaining a tidy yard by regularly mowing, trimming shrubbery, and sealing cracks in the house’s exterior can help prevent grass spiders from settling in unwanted areas. Keeping outdoor areas clean of food crumbs and pet food can also reduce the attraction of insects, and subsequently, spiders.