The approximately 165 North American Orb Weaving Spiders divide into thirty genera.
Fortunately, causal spider observers looking to identify an orb weaving spider found in the garden can save a good deal of time by focusing their identification efforts on one of three genera:
- Araneus
- Spotted Orbweavers
- Writing Spiders
Despite their large size, Orb Weaving spiders generally do not display aggressive behavior around humans.
Orbweavers in the genus Araneus rank as some of the most common spiders found around residential areas. Generally they are large spiders with colorful, patterned bodies, making for easy spider identification.
Almost three dozen species have been documented in the United States, so there’s always a couple different species in any particular place. The first picture shows a Cross Orbweaver, your typical garden spider. They are European imports that made their way across the United States.
The colorful Red-spotted Orb Weaver Araneus has a tendency to build its web at the top of trees and hunt at night.
Look for them in the East and Midwest.
It’s hard to miss the Giant Lichen Orbweaver. Females grow to over an inch in length and the green body stands out.
Red-backed orb Weaving Spiders. (Araneus guttulatus) also has nice green legs. It can be found in the East from Canada to the Gulf Coast states.
There’s no common name for the Western Araneus Gemma. The body color can change so the white stripe down the abdomen is a good identification clue.
Barn Spiders get credit for being the inspiration for the spider in Charlotte’s Web. The name of the spider in the story is Charlotte A. Cavatica, referring to the Latin name of the Barn Spider, Araneus cavaticus.
One of the commonest Orb Weaving Spiders.
Texas orb-weavers (Araneus illaudatus) are a Southwestern species.
Shamrock Orbweavers (araneus-trifollum) come in a variety of colors, including the Shamrock green. The circles/spots on the abdomen are the best field identification clues.
Lattice Orbweavers (Araneus thaddeus) inhabit areas east of the Rocky Mountains.
Marbled Orb Weavers (Araneus marmoreus) also come in a variety of colors.
Araneus nordmanni are one of those common species along the West Coast, Northeast and the northern states. Look for them in forest settings.
Cat-Faced Spider
Araneus pegnia, a small and common Southeast and Southwest spider, shows a unique pattern on the abdomen.
Orb Weavers: Argiope
Almost everyone in the United States knows that there is a black and yellow spider in the yard or garden. That’s without knowing the black and yellow spider is a member of the Argiope genus of spiders that are also commonly called writing spiders.
Writing spider web construction practices make them an easy group to identify. The orb webs include the addition of stabilimentum, or a series of Zs or Xs down the web’s center.
The Black-and-Yellow Argiope in the picture is common in thirty five states.
Banded Argiopes are also very common, with the exception of a few Southeast states.
The Silver Argiope is a southern species with a presence primarily in Florida, Texas and California.
It is very easy to confuse the Spotted Orb Weavers (Neoscona) with the Araneus species. One or two physical differences such as a ridge down the center of the head physically differentiates them.
Arabesque Orbweavers are probably the easiest to identify and most widespread of all the spotted orbweavers. The solid, dark slash marks down the center of the abdomen are good identification clues.
Ten of the orb weaver genera have only one species attached to them. One of them, Spiny-backed Orbweavers (Gasteracantha), is pictured.
They are especially common in the Southeast.
Verrucosa arenata are very small and live in most areas of the Eastern United States.
Orb weaving spiders in the Micrathena genus are fairly common in the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains. Most of them are a black and white color. Here’s a Texas specimen that adds some more color to the mix.
Species in the Metazygia genus are less common, explaining their lack of a common name.
Species in The Tropical Orbweaver (Eriophora ravilla) takes so many different looks that a dozen spider pictures might not help with identification of any particular specimen. Some specimens have a heart shaped, all brown body.
While most people associate orb weavers with round bodies, the Arrowshped Micrathena represents on of a handful of orb weavers with pointed bodies.
There are four species. Three of them are very common in the East. One species has a California and Arizona population.
The six black abdominal spots helps identify the Six-spotted Orbweaver.
All three of the native Larinioides species have regional ranges, some of which overlap.
The Gray Cross Spider, pictured, is mostly a West Coast, Mid-Atlantic and New England species.
The Furrow Orbweaver body looks kind of shiny. The pattern on the body can change but the darker edges are a good Identification clue. It’s mostly an East Coast species.
Humpbacked Orbweaver inhabit areas east of the Rocky Mountains.
Stripes down the abdomen identifies the Difoliate Orbweaver.
They are fairly common in the Central and Southern areas of the Midwest and East. Look for them around dusk and dawn because they build webs at night and rest during the day.
The Basilica Orbweaver might easily be confused with the more common Orchard Orbweaver were it not for the dome shaped web.
Their range extends from about New York in the north and moves south from Florida through Texas.