Orb Weaver Spiders - Araneidae Photo Gallery by Tom Murray at pbase.com

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Tom Murray | profile | all galleries >> Arthropods - Arthropoda >> Arachnids - Arachnida >> Orb Weaver Spiders - Araneidae

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Orb Weaver Spiders - Araneidae

:: Orb Weavers - Genus Acanthepeira ::	:: Orb Weavers - Genus Araneus ::	:: Orb Weavers - Genus Araniella ::	:: Orb Weavers - Genus Argiope ::	:: Orb Weavers - Genus Cyclosa ::	:: Orb Weavers - Genus Eustala ::
:: Orb Weavers - Genus Hypsosinga ::	:: Orb Weavers - Genus Larinioides ::	:: Orb Weavers - Genus Mangora ::	:: Orb Weavers - Genus Micrathena ::	:: Orb Weavers - Genus Neoscona ::	:: Orb Weavers - Genus Ocrepeira ::
Cercidia prominens	Gasteracantha cancriformis - Crablike Spiny Orb Weaver	Gea heptagon	Gea heptagon	Larinia directa	Metepeira comanche
Golden Silk Spider - Trichonephila clavipes	Golden Silk Spider - Trichonephila clavipes	Parawixia sp.	Zygiella x-notata	Zygiella nearctica	Gea heptagon
Bolas Spider - Mastophora bisaccata

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militaire		25-Sep-2015 13:08
Very nice! Voted!

Catholique		02-Sep-2015 09:10
Nice picture:)

Rencontre moto		04-Jun-2015 09:26
vos photos sont superbes !

Traci Payne		23-Nov-2010 03:36
Are bites from ORB SPIDERS poinsoness? Today I was bitten by one on the neck when i fell out of a tree or i walked into the web.... I have a photo, and when i came to your site it looked almost exactly like the PARAWIXIA on this page. little bit diffrent, i think the one that bit me had some orange in it a little bit. Felt like a tack on my neck when I knocked it off. Im pregnant, so it scared me that it may be poiseness. Traci Payne, Greenville,Tx

David Bareket		15-Nov-2010 20:43
I have a beautiful small spider (tiny 0.5 MM, you can hardly see it in a naked eye ) living in a flowerpot on my balcony that I'm trying to identify . can you help me? And how can I send you a picture so you can see it. thanks David

Barb P.		09-Nov-2010 20:16
Huge orb with the size of a grape abdomen on my orange tree. 1-1 1/2 in. leg. Sm. black spots in line on abdomen.I'm fascinated but don't want it to reproduce in my yard. Any ideas beside killing?

nathan hunt		30-Sep-2010 00:47
i caoght a spider a couple days ago and it has a disgn that looks like a tree made out of arrows on its behind,i live in maricopa,az and it sat in middle of its web and i dont know if its poisoness can you please tell me what it is?thank you.:)

miriam R		07-Sep-2010 02:48
Although I don't see the exact ID of my orb weaver in your gallery, I'm fairly sure she is of the araneus sp. Like clockwork, she emerges at dusk (from wherever she goes during the day!!) on my North facing patio door corner and just weaves away until- she has totally ensconced the left upper portion with her web. Best part, I can watch her at will, safely, from the glass inside. Then, again, like clockwork, at dawn- she's gone, leaving only a few small spindles of her web- as an anchor- for the next night. She has a black square with two white dots on her thorax, seen while she waits in the center of her web for her prey- usually moths... Truly a fascinating creature...from afar!! (Triangle area- NC)

Thomas		03-Sep-2010 04:15
I live in Nashville and they are all over my backyard and we have a big ole guy on our daybed out front. They scare the crap out of me even though I know they are pretty much harmless...Have been walking into webs all summer and no spiders. Bought a spotlight for the beach in the fall and took it out tonight to take the garbage out with my 5 year old son..Had no idea they how many there were..We walked RIGHT back inside! Wife laughed until i took here out and showed her what you cant see in the dark..Looking forward to the first frost!1!

Gloria		29-Aug-2010 15:35
I live in GA and there is a spider, I think it's a orb weaver, that made a web right outside of my patio door. I actually didn't realize the spider web was outside of my patio door and I ran right smack into it. The spider is a reddish/brownish color with black bands around the legs. It comes around at night and leaves before the sun comes up in the morning. Last night there were two spiders in the web and one of the spiders were going around in a circle making a web within a web (not sure if that's possible or not...). It's amazing to watch, but I am deathly afraid of them.

Kim		25-Jul-2010 20:14
I am terrified of spiders, but I must admit, these orb weavers are fascinating from a distance. I once had one on me and freaked out. I couldn't find it after I shook it off my shirt. The next evening, it was weaving a web around the ceiling fan over my bed. Too bad for the spider, but I had to kill it at that point. I live in West Tennessee, and there are millions of them here!

Guest		19-Jul-2010 06:54
Around this time of year, we get what appears to be the Araneus around my place, espicially in my back field. I think they're neat because they don't bother anybody, and really don't want to be bothered. At least one per year will hang around the front door until it realizes that it's a high traffic area. But they are awesome to watch until then!!

Tom Murray		10-May-2010 22:36
I barely have enough time to take and post all my pictures. But if you want facts on any of these spiders or any other bug, check out the other site I post all my bug pictures at www.bugguide.net

Guest		05-Oct-2009 03:17
I just read the message that was posted by "M" on Sept 6, 2009 and I have a spider making a web outside my back door that looks exactly like you described. Did you find out what it was?

nola-lala		28-Sep-2009 20:05
In my neighbor's backyard in New Orleans, there is a very beautiful, bright green, fluorescent orange abdominal spots, slender orb weaver, about 1" long, hangs upside down in web. Any idea what it could be?

Anomous		19-Sep-2009 19:59
I live in Ga. and i was staring out my window and found a large Genus Neoscona or it coulve been a Genus Larinioides It had red and white striped legs and a big brown furry body it scared the living day lights out of me. It wa shaving a meal and it ad a black mark on its back which look liked the black mark had eyes. i thougt it was poisonies.. But i just thougt i would share that ;)

Jayne		13-Aug-2009 02:38
Man, we have barn orbweavers ALL over the place here. I've grown quite fond of them. The ones that get in the house for some reason are a joy to watch as they grow older. And the healthier/better fed they are, they seem to have darker colours while the less fed ones appear to fade.

Guest		17-Jul-2009 05:21
To Linda and S. Shepherd Here is some info on Golden Silk Orb-Weavers from the book SPIDERS from the Harper Collins publishers. It says that their webs are the largest and can be more than a yard wide. Their silk is of high strength. The female can grow up to 1 1/3 inches and males 1/2 inches. They can be found in forests, swamps, and in shady gardens located in S.E. US, Caribbean, Central and South America. It also mentions that it is of no harm to humans as in not poisonous. But I would still be careful that it may bite if provoked.

Antonietta		24-Sep-2008 20:44
Years ago,I walked into an orb weaver web and the spider got caught in my hair and started buzzing, loud buzzing. I freaked out!!! I shook my hair and it finally released. I live in Los Angeles and have been aware of them around late August, September and October (they anticipate Halloween for me). Our street is full of them. They have the most interesting markings. The webs are the most beautiful things and I once stood there for a half hour witnessing the spider while creating the amazing web. It's a lot of work. The other day I also witnessed another spider wrapping up a bee (it took seconds, I felt sorry for the bee but it was interesting to witness. The spider is getting bigger every day, so it must be catching lots of insects.

M		06-Sep-2008 02:26
I havw hat I beleive is a very large Orb Spider living outside my front door...I cnot locate his/her species however. It is a consistent brown, with the bands on legs. Where legs meet body it is reddish - it looks very simlar to a hermit crab. The under belly is black with white markings resembling a face Any ideas???

Linda		11-Jul-2008 19:45
Thank you for the best spider photo collection. I have been searching the spider websites trying to find pictures to identify ones that have decided they own the house my daughter just moved into and she aggravates their existense. We believe she has a LARGE infestation of the Golden Silk Spiders, but to be sure we are sending a few "dead" samples to the Texas A&M folks. Thabk you again. Great educational website I am reccomending to a high school science teacher and others.

S. Shepherd		19-Feb-2008 06:28
Excellent photo's. I'm fairly sure that i have a Golden Silk Spider in my garden after looking at them. I have a young son, do i need to be concerned about him playing near the web? From reading the comments i know that they will bite but are just anoying, is this different with children?

APB		19-Dec-2007 06:08
How long do the orb spiders live? I have a huge one, that I have observed outside of my kitchen window since last summer. So fascinating to watch it spin its web. I love to watch them spin and catch their prey. They are so fascinating! but so creepy! Thanks

Stevie		06-Oct-2007 21:45
Wonderful site for identifying my two orb weavers. Had no idea what they were but they are absolutely beautiful to look at if one appreciates the workings of nature. I was able to get several macro shots with my Canon having the lens almost touching them. I was quite happy with the results. Am not sure which "orb weaver" catagory they fit into but am guessing maybe the marble. They have short little hairs all over. Would be happy to share pics. if interested.

Tom Murray		03-Oct-2007 12:53
Nini, none of the orb weavers are dangerous to people, although they can give an annoying bite. You just have to make sure it's not one of the Widows (red, brown, and black). The only other "dangerous" spiders in the states are the Brown Recluse, and the Hobo Spiders.

Nini Prater		03-Oct-2007 03:18
Also I noted on this spider (which I presume is an orb weaver) a black tummy with little outlined in white dotted lines (exactly 6 dotted lines) with the slight shape of rectangle. Two lines are horizontal at the top and the other four are vertical - two above two below the two horizontal ones. Any ideas - I dare not get closer. She scares me.

Nini Prater		03-Oct-2007 03:13
I guess I am a novice to spiders but I think I have orb weavers in my yard. Are they dangerous? They are scarey looking. I don't kill garden spiders because I can easily identify them and know they are good. Please tell me about these orb weavers...

Scott Alan Johnson		23-Sep-2007 05:25
Wanted to say your site has been very helpful in IDing a few of my spider photographs .. well done

Jimmy		11-Sep-2007 20:19
I searched and found the identity of A beautiful Marbled Ord Weaver (Fem) She has her web on the overhang of my house to shubs below. I also photographed "her"

Dennis Ancinec		09-Sep-2007 00:17
Marvelous job of I.D. and capture. A great resource.

Andrew Vincent		24-Sep-2006 12:23
Amazing variety. Really nice collection. Never seen some of these before. vote.

Toni		03-May-2006 00:23
I love all of these photos! I have an obsession with spiders and these spiders are awesome!! Great Job!!

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