Larinioides Cornutus, commonly known as the furrow spider, is an orb weaver species that can be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere and in every US state. They are often found near human constructions, like porches, but are not dangerous for humans.
Larinioides Cornutus Description
The abdomen of the Furrow Spider is nearly twice the size of the cephalothorax when it is at its largest. Usually of an off-white or light brown coloring with a distinct pattern which runs down the middle. The furrow spider has a very distinctive pattern on its large abdomen.
Similar spiders: The furrow spider can be confused with the missing sector orb weaver that occurs in the eastern and western coastal areas in the United States. Generally, the furrow spider does not have a hairy abdomen which the missing sector orb weaver might have. If the web is missing a sector (like a slice of a pizza), you might be looking at a missing sector orb weaver, Zygiella x-notata.
Size
The body of the adult female will grow to about ¾ of an inch (20 mm) and with the legs included, can reach nearly 1 ¼” (32 mm) across.
Eye pattern
The furrow spider has eight eyes of which only six are usually visible to the human eye. They have a row of six eyes at the bottom and another pair of eyes in the middle of their head.
Web
Like any orb weaver, the furrow spider creates circular webs that catch any flying small insects. As they are a nocturnal spider species, some furrow spiders have been seen eating their web in the morning before they hid away during the daytime.
Furrow Spider Bite
The bite of a furrow spider may, at worst, only cause a mild discomfort. The symptoms are usually negligible. Only on very rare occasions, they might cause some local swelling or minor pain.
Larinioides Cornutus Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Infraorder: Araneomorphae
- Family: Aranidae
- Genus: Larinioides
- Species: Larinioides cornutus
Common names
Furrow spider, furrow orb weaver, furrow orb spider, foliate spider
Distribution of the furrow orb weaver in the USA
The furrow spider appears in the entire Holarctic region and in every US state. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
I’m fairly certain that this is the same species, am I correct?
This spider was in our garage inside a lamp shade with the light in the lamp shade on. This is in Houston, Texas.
Here is a second picture from a different angle to help identify it.
Hello Chris, thanks for getting in touch. My best guess is that this is a juvenile furrow orb weaver (Larinioides cornutus): https://usaspiders.com/larinioides-cornutus-furrow-spider/
It’s definitely not a medically significant spider.
Description of the spider (helps with the identification but is not mandatory)
Greyish-Tan and Brown markings. Looks smooth and shiny.
City and U.S. State where the spider was found
New Hartford, New York
Your name how you want to be credited on our website
John Poczatek
Hello John, thanks for getting in touch! This is a furrow orb weaver – it’s not medically significant. You can read more about them here: https://usaspiders.com/larinioides-cornutus-furrow-spider/