Home / Orb Weavers / Giant Lichen Orb Weaver (Araneus bicentenarius)

Giant Lichen Orb Weaver (Araneus bicentenarius)

Giant lichen orb weaver is indigenous throughout parts of the United States and Canada. The enormously large size of these spiders earns them their name.

Scientific Classification

Giant Lichen Orbweaver

 

Physical Description and Identification

Size: Females spiders are 0.78 – 1.18 inches (2 – 3 cm) while males are around 0.39 inches (1 cm).

Color: Their abdomen has blotches of light green or reddish-brown. They also have blotchy green legs, with a reddish-orange base and a black band.

Other Characteristic Features: They have prominent humps on their abdomen.

Giant Lichen Orbweaver Spider

Eggs

This species lays eggs in a silk sac that the female spider spin prior to the reproduction period.

Spiderlings

The spiderlings have a pale green body and mostly disperse from their kin in a few days after hatching.

The Web

The Giant lichen orb weaver makes orb-shaped or spiral webs with a diameter of up to 8 feet. They do not stay in the middle of their web in an upside-down posture. Instead, these spiders sit at the edge, waiting for their prey.

Giant Lichen Orbweaver Web

Are Giant Lichen Orb Weaver Spiders Venomous

The giant lichen orb weaver rarely bites, and though their venom is harmful to their prey, it is not dangerous to humans.

Quick Facts

Lifespan 1 year
Distribution Southeastern Canada and United States (eastern part)
Habitat Forests
Diet Insects and wasps

Did You Know

  • McCook, in 1888, described this species for the first time.

Image Source: Pestcontrolcanada.com, Live.staticflickr.com, A4.pbase.com

Giant lichen orb weaver is indigenous throughout parts of the United States and Canada. The enormously large size of these spiders earns them their name.

Giant Lichen Orbweaver

 

Physical Description and Identification

Size: Females spiders are 0.78 – 1.18 inches (2 – 3 cm) while males are around 0.39 inches (1 cm).

Color: Their abdomen has blotches of light green or reddish-brown. They also have blotchy green legs, with a reddish-orange base and a black band.

Other Characteristic Features: They have prominent humps on their abdomen.

Giant Lichen Orbweaver Spider

Eggs

This species lays eggs in a silk sac that the female spider spin prior to the reproduction period.

Spiderlings

The spiderlings have a pale green body and mostly disperse from their kin in a few days after hatching.

The Web

The Giant lichen orb weaver makes orb-shaped or spiral webs with a diameter of up to 8 feet. They do not stay in the middle of their web in an upside-down posture. Instead, these spiders sit at the edge, waiting for their prey.

Giant Lichen Orbweaver Web

Are Giant Lichen Orb Weaver Spiders Venomous

The giant lichen orb weaver rarely bites, and though their venom is harmful to their prey, it is not dangerous to humans.

Quick Facts

Lifespan 1 year
Distribution Southeastern Canada and United States (eastern part)
Habitat Forests
Diet Insects and wasps

Did You Know

  • McCook, in 1888, described this species for the first time.

Image Source: Pestcontrolcanada.com, Live.staticflickr.com, A4.pbase.com