Know Your Enemy
Accurate identification of pests is as important as choosing the best preventive pest management available on the market today. Preventive Pest Control has compiled a list of most common pests to help you identify the problem.
Spotted Orbweaver
(Neoscona crucifera)
Characteristics
The spotted orbweaver is a unique and amazing spider since every specimen are different including their color and pattern. As adults, the female can grow to 9/20 to 7/10 inch in length, which makes them large for spiders. Males are smaller, with 1/5 to 1/2 inch in length. These spiders have their own individual patterns and can have different dorsal patterns on their abdomen.
Habitat
The spotted orbweaver creates its habitat in moist places where they can be easily seen, such as in backyards, gardens, parks, and woodlands. During the daytime, this spider can be found in a retreat made of leaves that is connected to her web by her frame threads.
Behavior
This spider has the behavior of sitting upside down at the center of her web, and wait for her prey to get tangled up on her set trap, which is her web. The spotted orb weaver, similar to other orb weavers, creates a circular web, but without the zigzag patterns.
They are nocturnal insect, so they will hide near a curled leaf or at the edge of their web. Night time or early morning will be a time for feeding, repairing their web, and mating.
Food
This spider is considered a beneficial arachnid because it consumes a variety of insects, such as moths, mites, lice, flies, beetles, and more.
Life Cycle
During the late summer or early fall, the reproduction of this spider starts. The female will deposit eggs, and will create an egg sac that can contain up to 1,000 eggs. Once spring comes, the spiderlings will emerge and disperse. Sometimes these orbweavers can create large, localized population in a small area. However, it is common for these spiderlings to disperse and scatter as they “balloon” themselves to far places. But, there are other spiders who will prefer to just stay close to home, which may cause for their population to grow.
Other Information and Tips
Spotted orb weavers have venom but it\'s not particularly poisonous, especially to humans. Although they can still bite people, there is no need to worry if their bite is poisonous. Their venom is not strong enough to affect their human victims. This spider is not aggressive as well. But it should just be left alone, if possible, as they can still bite if they are provoked.
Photo: Spotted Orbweaver Spider at Night by M. Dolly, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / resized from original