Neoscona crucifera, commonly known as the spotted orbweaver, is an orb weaver species indigenous to the Eastern part of North America.
Description of the spotted orb weaver
The abdomen, which is usually a shade of brown or reddish brown, has a slight pattern but nothing that stands out, and is usually covered with thick hairs. The legs will have brown or red-brown coloring closer to the body and have black and white / tan bands on the half furthest away from the cephalothorax.
In Texas, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, the range of the spotted orb weaver overlaps with the western spotted orb weaver (Neoscona oaxacensis). Most of the time, these two species can be distinguished. However, since the western spotted orb weaver can take on various appearances, it might look similar to Neoscona crucifera. Both of these spiders are not medically significant.
Size
The body of the female adult will grow to ¾ of an inch (19 mm). If you include the legs, they can reach around 1 ½ inches (38 mm).
Web
As any orb weaver, the spotted orb weaver spins webs to catch small insects. The web is orb-shaped and is rebuild every day.
Bite
The spotted orb weaver is not an aggressive spider. However, in some situations, it occurs that it bites a human or a pet. The symptoms are usually comparable with a bee sting and will not have any long term negative effects.
Neoscona crucifera scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Infraorder: Araneomorphae
- Family: Aranidae
- Genus: Neoscona
- Species: Neoscona crucifera
Common Names
Most commonly, Neoscona crucifera are called spotted orbweavers. Other common names are Hentz orbweaver and barn spider.
Distribution of spotted orbweavers in the USA
The spotted orbweaver appears in the eastern United States. It is commonly found all over the east coast, to Minnesota in the north and until eastern Arizona in the South. The spotted orb weaver can be found in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Confirmed neoscona crucifera sighting in Rapid City, South Dakota. 13 August 2020.
Found in Georgia
Hello John, thank you for getting in touch! This is a spotted orb weaver. It is not a medical concern for humans and great to have around for insect control. I’ve moved the comment to our info page about the spotted orb weaver.
Let us know if you have any other questions.
Best
USAspiders
Found a Hentz’s (the pale tan/khaki ones) tonight (1/2 hr ago), of all the places, in my dining room, weaving a web from the patio curtains to the pull chain fob on the ceiling fan, a good 3 feet reach.
We live in the country, and I would wager that while I was working this afternoon, someone (likely the 10 yr old) left the patio screen door open a crack, and she walked in.web had to be 90% done when I found it, was kind of a shame to have to knock it down while I caught her up on a house broom, then managed to deposit her outside on the patio where she belongs.
Didn’t think to get a picture until too late, oh well.
I was actually headed over to close the patio glass before going to bed, which is why I found it.
We kill Recluses in the house mercilessly, but we don’t see too many IMO because we deliberately try not to kill off wolves and jumpers that find their way indoors (and especially into the basement).
Hello Aaron,
Thanks for not killing the orb weaver and setting it free outside. It will be able to find a new place to set up its web and catch some insects. They are quick at setting up a web.
Best
USAspiders
I think this is a cat face orb weaver… who can confirm?
Hello Heather,
It’s hard to identify the spider 100% just from this photo. It’s definitely an orb weaver. I don’t think this is a cat-faced orb weaver. More likely a spotted orb weaver (Neoscona crucifera – http://usaspiders.com/neoscona-crucifera-spotted-orb-weaver/) or a barn orb weaver (Araneus cavaticus)
Found hanging from a tree in October in Virginia USA. It has very distinctive marks on its back
Hello Paula, thanks for reaching out. This is definitely a harmless orb weaver. Since the abdomen is a little dark in the picture, I can’t say for sure what species. I would say a Neoscona sp. orb weaver. Possibly spotted orb weaver (http://usaspiders.com/neoscona-crucifera-spotted-orb-weaver/). The two visible white markings look a bit like Neoscona oaxacaensis but since you found the spider in Virginia that would be out of their natural range and rather unlikely.
I thought this was a good picture that you could use of the spider at my house. Found in Southern Indiana
This is Spidey Widey. It has been around since it was a baby. Has made beautiful webs!! Has disappeared a couple of times due to cooler weather but has reappeared when it warms up. He/She is not building the web it once was..just want to confirm that it is a spotted orb weaver and ask if its possibly pregnant??
Here is an earlier/brighter picture
Hello Ashley,
Thanks for uploading the pictures. Spidey Widey looks very much like a Neoscona species. However, given the darker markings on the back of the abdomen, I would say that is more likely an arabesque orb weaver (Neoscona arabesca): http://usaspiders.com/neoscona-arabesca-arabesque-orb-weaver/
Thank you so much for the clarification and the response! 🙂
This is a dark picture, but this girl was outside on some foamular insulation in our yard. She has a brown, shiny, translucent thorax with a matte (haired?) darker abdomen with a very faint, lighter chevron pattern. Long legs that alternate from brown to black in segments. I thought the mouth parts were interesting…there seem to be two sets?
Can you tell me the name of this spider? Comes out at night on our back patio. Spinning a web between lawn chair and table. Red with unique square on abdomen with a fat cross shape inside. Almost looks like torso and neck end shoulders of a person shape in the box. Banded red and white or cream legs.
Hi Shelby, thanks for reaching out! Your spider is definitely a female orb weaver. It’s hard to make an ID off a picture of the underside. The broken white pattern on the underside suggests that it could be Neoscona crucifera, a spotted orb weaver: https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-crucifera-spotted-orb-weaver/
Can someone tell me how long this type of spider lives and how many egg sacs one can produce? I currently have one living in the side mirror of my car with 6 egg sacs! She’s been many places with me. I was also wondering if it’s possible to transplant the egg sacs to a different location? I don’t want to harm them but I really need to wash my car.
Hello Rachel, thanks for getting in touch! I can’t really say how many egg sacs the spider will produce, that can depend on from a lot of factors. The egg sac can be relocated safely. Ideally, they should be placed in a place that provides some protection from winter temperatures. Possibly high grass or hedges.
The grown spider will probably live until the colder temperatures arrive and die before winter.
Btw. to me, this spider looks a bit more like Neoscona arabesca than Neoscona crucifera: https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-arabesca-arabesque-orb-weaver/ – but it’s hard to definitely tell them apart.
Appears cream colored from a distance. Hangs or builds webs at night only from porch beams
Hello Lorraine, could you please tell me where you found this spider (city/state)? Thanks!
This is definitely a harmless orb weaver spider. I would say it is a spotted orb weaver (Neoscona crucifera) but since a number of species have a similar appearance, it could be a closely related species too: https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-crucifera-spotted-orb-weaver/
This is in my house and I don’t think I can sleep. It’s perched right above my kid’s toys or I’d try to kill it. I don’t want it falling in his toys and not being dead and biting my son. Please help!
Hello Tanner, thanks for getting in touch! This spider is generally nothing to worry about. It’s a male orb weaver (Araenidae family). They are very reluctant to bite and in rare cases when a bite occurs, symptoms are comparable to a mild bee sting. He can be scooped up with a glass and a piece of paper and transported outside.
The patterns and body shape are not visible clearly enough for an ID on a species level. It could be a spotted orb weaver (Neoscona crucifera): https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-crucifera-spotted-orb-weaver/
Nightly web in same spot for about 10 days now every evening. Never seen during the day.
Cottageville SC. Still seems to be growing, but body about 1”.
Hello Debbie, thanks for getting in touch and for sharing this great shot! This is a female orb weaver, most likely a spotted orb weaver (Neoscona crucifera): https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-crucifera-spotted-orb-weaver/
It’s not a medically significant spider.
Seen in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas.
Hello Chris, thanks for uploading this shot. This is a female orb weaver spider – not a medically significant spider. There is a number of species that can have a similar appearance, so I am not 100 % sure on the exact identification. However, I would say that this a spotted orb weaver (Neoscona crucifera): https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-crucifera-spotted-orb-weaver/
Hello! This spider is just outside of our place in Annandale, VA. Black in color with yellow dots on rear and yellow bands on legs. It’s about an inch long with equal-sized legs (somewhat hairy). Web was fairly intricate, albeit small. Any ideas? Thank you!
Hello Rick, thanks for getting in touch! This is an orb weaver, most likely in the genus Neoscona. I would say it is a spotted orb weaver (Neoscona crucifera): https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-crucifera-spotted-orb-weaver/
There are loads of these little fellas at night in our yard in Texas and I love watching them sit in the middle of their massive webs patiently waiting. On one rare early morning I came across one still in the web and was struck by how lovely he/she is. I know the spider is a orb weaver, but I’m not sure what kinda. I’d greatly appreciate any help identifying my little buds. Thanks.
Hi Susiey, thanks for getting in touch! This beauty is a female spotted orb weaver (Neoscona crucifera): https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-crucifera-spotted-orb-weaver/
I found this in South Carolina outside my kitchen window.
Here is another image of this one.
Hello Samantha, thanks for getting in touch! What a great shot! This is a female spotted orb weaver (Neoscona crucifera): https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-crucifera-spotted-orb-weaver/+
They are not medically significant.
Would love to know what this thing is on my grill cover.
Hello Samantha, This one is also a spotted orb weaver (Neoscona crucifera): https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-crucifera-spotted-orb-weaver/