The gray cross spider is a member of the family of orb weavers. While not social, these spiders often build webs close to each other and have been known to adapt to unfamiliar conditions very quickly.
Size: Male: 0.8-0.9 cm (0.314-0.354 in) Female: 1-1.4 cm (0.393-0.55 in)
Color: Mostly gray, but some spiders are brown.
Other Characteristic Features: The white hairs on this spider provide a silhouette for their heads.
The eggs are laid inside a sac made up of webbing.
Spiderlings are known to build their own webs, though those of the juveniles are more symmetrical than those of the adults.
These spiders tend to build larger webs of around 70 cm in diameter as they mature to accommodate themselves while also capturing prey. The webs are made close to light sources.
Even when present together in large numbers, they typically do not bite humans. The potency of their venom is low, ranging from that of a mosquito bite to a bee sting.
Gray Cross Spider
| Other names | Bridge Spider |
| Lifespan | Approximately 1.5 years |
| Distribution | North America, mainly in the Great Lake states of the US as well as in central Europe |
| Habitat | Instead of vegetation, these spiders tend to reside on steel objects and are often found close to bridges |
| Common Predators | Scuttle flies like Phalacrotophora epeirae and wasps like Trypoxylon attenuatum |
| Diet | Chironomids |
Image Source: live.staticflickr.com, bugguide.net
The gray cross spider is a member of the family of orb weavers. While not social, these spiders often build webs close to each other and have been known to adapt to unfamiliar conditions very quickly.
Size: Male: 0.8-0.9 cm (0.314-0.354 in) Female: 1-1.4 cm (0.393-0.55 in)
Color: Mostly gray, but some spiders are brown.
Other Characteristic Features: The white hairs on this spider provide a silhouette for their heads.
The eggs are laid inside a sac made up of webbing.
Spiderlings are known to build their own webs, though those of the juveniles are more symmetrical than those of the adults.
These spiders tend to build larger webs of around 70 cm in diameter as they mature to accommodate themselves while also capturing prey. The webs are made close to light sources.
Even when present together in large numbers, they typically do not bite humans. The potency of their venom is low, ranging from that of a mosquito bite to a bee sting.
Gray Cross Spider
| Other names | Bridge Spider |
| Lifespan | Approximately 1.5 years |
| Distribution | North America, mainly in the Great Lake states of the US as well as in central Europe |
| Habitat | Instead of vegetation, these spiders tend to reside on steel objects and are often found close to bridges |
| Common Predators | Scuttle flies like Phalacrotophora epeirae and wasps like Trypoxylon attenuatum |
| Diet | Chironomids |
Image Source: live.staticflickr.com, bugguide.net
Roy Williams on May 24, 2022.
Dr. Watuwa James
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