The orchard spider is a species of the orbweaver variety characterized with a long jaw, indigenous to different parts of the United States like Colombia, southern Canada as well as various regions of Central America.
Size: Like most other orb weaving spiders, the males are smaller in size than their female counterparts. The male spiders are 3.5mm to 4 mm long, while the females have a length of 5.5 mm to 7.5 mm.
Color: Having a distinct and beautiful coloration, these spiders have a yellowish-green carapace with stripes of brown or black to the sides. The top of its downward-facing abdomen has a silvery color (more intense in males) with dark stripes while the stomach, facing upward can come in shades of red, blue, silver, green and yellow. Its belly is also marked with a red, orange or yellow crescent and the legs are of a leafy-green hue.
Other Characteristic Features: It has an elongated abdomen, while the legs are long and slender. Like most other spiders, they too have eight eyes arranged in a trapezoid manner.
The egg sac made from white and orange silk contains hundreds of eggs and may be of a diameter of approximately 9 mm.
The spiderlings that remain in the egg sac throughout winter hatch in the next spring. They are also capable of spinning their own webs from the juvenile stage.
Their webs are circular, positioned in a horizontal manner, with the spider hanging upside down at the center of it, waiting to capture its prey.
They have a mild temperament and are generally not dangerous or harmful towards mankind. They generally do not bite and if at all they do their venom is not said to be poisonous to mankind (from the number of spiders documented).
| Other names | Orchard spider, Venusta Orchard Spider |
| Lifespan | About a year (like most orbweaver spider species) |
| Distribution | Parts of Southern Canada to Central America |
| Habitat | Woodlands, low shrubby areas and small trees |
| Common predators | Large spiders, wasps and many other large-sized flying insects, small animals and birds |
| Diet | Small moths, flies, leaf insects, flying insects |
Image Credits: Bugguide.net, 2.bp.blogspot.com, Thumbs-prod.si-cdn.com, Farm2.staticflickr.com, Objects.liquidweb.services, C1.staticflickr.com
The orchard spider is a species of the orbweaver variety characterized with a long jaw, indigenous to different parts of the United States like Colombia, southern Canada as well as various regions of Central America.
Size: Like most other orb weaving spiders, the males are smaller in size than their female counterparts. The male spiders are 3.5mm to 4 mm long, while the females have a length of 5.5 mm to 7.5 mm.
Color: Having a distinct and beautiful coloration, these spiders have a yellowish-green carapace with stripes of brown or black to the sides. The top of its downward-facing abdomen has a silvery color (more intense in males) with dark stripes while the stomach, facing upward can come in shades of red, blue, silver, green and yellow. Its belly is also marked with a red, orange or yellow crescent and the legs are of a leafy-green hue.
Other Characteristic Features: It has an elongated abdomen, while the legs are long and slender. Like most other spiders, they too have eight eyes arranged in a trapezoid manner.
The egg sac made from white and orange silk contains hundreds of eggs and may be of a diameter of approximately 9 mm.
The spiderlings that remain in the egg sac throughout winter hatch in the next spring. They are also capable of spinning their own webs from the juvenile stage.
Their webs are circular, positioned in a horizontal manner, with the spider hanging upside down at the center of it, waiting to capture its prey.
They have a mild temperament and are generally not dangerous or harmful towards mankind. They generally do not bite and if at all they do their venom is not said to be poisonous to mankind (from the number of spiders documented).
| Other names | Orchard spider, Venusta Orchard Spider |
| Lifespan | About a year (like most orbweaver spider species) |
| Distribution | Parts of Southern Canada to Central America |
| Habitat | Woodlands, low shrubby areas and small trees |
| Common predators | Large spiders, wasps and many other large-sized flying insects, small animals and birds |
| Diet | Small moths, flies, leaf insects, flying insects |
Image Credits: Bugguide.net, 2.bp.blogspot.com, Thumbs-prod.si-cdn.com, Farm2.staticflickr.com, Objects.liquidweb.services, C1.staticflickr.com
