Commonly known as Red-femured spotted orb weaver or spotted orb weaver, these spiders are in the family of Araneidae which has a Latin name of Neoscana domiciliorum. These spiders are known to be beneficial in consuming a variety of insects. They are also nocturnal.
Quick Overview: Neoscona domiciliorum – Red-femured Spotted Orbweaver Medically significant: No
Body size: Up to 3/4 inches (16 mm)
Main colors: Brown, Red, Yellow
Range: Southeastern United States
Web: Orb-shaped web
Neoscona domiciliorum Spider Description
Overall, the patterns and colors of N. domiciliorum are very similar to the spotted orb weaver (Neoscona crucifera). N. domiciliorum are usually identified by the stronger colors and contrasts of the bright-colored marking on the back of their abdomen. Also, the part of the legs closest to the body are bright red in colors, giving them their common name “red-femured spotted orbweaver”.
As all spiders in the genus of Neoscona, these spiders have longitudinal grooves on the carapace which separates them from the species in the genus Araneus.
Size
Males are smaller than females in size. Males are about 1/3″ (8 mm) long, while females can be up to 3/4″ (16 mm) long.
Web
These spiders build their large orb-shaped webs in trees and shrubs vertically. These webs are usually created by females and replaced daily by building them during dusk or before daybreak.
Neoscona domiciliorum spider bite
Like most spiders, these orb-weaving spiders are not medically significant and not known to cause harm to humans when biting. They are very hesitant to bite and in the rare cases in which a bite occurs, symptoms are usually comparable to a mild bee sting with some localized swelling and redness.
Neoscona domiciliorum Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Infraorder: Araneomorphae
- Family: Araneidae
- Genus: Neoscana
- Species: Neoscona domiciliorum
Distribution of the red-femured spotted orb weaver in the USA
Various species of the Neoscona domiciliorum spider can be found throughout the United States – Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia,
Found in Georgia
Found this guy hanging out by our shed. We’re in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Wondering if it is some type of orb spider?
Hello Kayla, thanks for sharing this great shot! This is a redfemured spotted orbweaver, Neoscona domiciliorum: https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-domiciliorum-red-femured-spotted-orbweaver/
I’m in Tucker, Georgia and I have at least 3 Trichonephila clavata around the house the year – new to me. Additionally, there’s this orb-weaver I’m sure we had before and I never got it ID’ed. This guy was really shy and very hard to photograph but loved the 2 tomato hornworms I fed him.
Hello John, thanks for getting in touch! This is a red-femured spotted orbweaver, Neoscona domiciliorum: https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-domiciliorum-red-femured-spotted-orbweaver/
Yes, joro spiders are becoming increasingly common in Georgia and South Carolina too.
I found this spider on the wall of a storage unit in east Texas. I found a few long strand of a web that the spider made.
Hello Samantha, thanks for getting in touch! This is a spotted orbweaver. Either Neoscona crucifera or Neoscona domiciliorum: https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-domiciliorum-red-femured-spotted-orbweaver/
It’s not a medically significant spider.
Is this a redfemured spotted orb weaver or a garden spider my kids named her Charlotte
Found these two hanging from our deck light in Addison, IL. I’d love to know what they are. The larger (female , I presume) disappeared. The other is still hanging out.
Hi Liz, what an amazing photo! Thanks for sharing. This is a male (smaller) and female spotted orbweaver. Identifying the exact species is tricky since the pattern on the abdomen is not visible well. Either Neoscona crucifera or Neoscona domiciliorum. I am leaning towards the latter: https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-domiciliorum-red-femured-spotted-orbweaver/
Not sure what kind of spider this is… south Florida
I noticed this spider who built a new web every night and took it down every morning. It created a large web along the side of the house awning. One evening there were two spiders that looked identical, but one was smaller. The smaller spider vanished by dawn. I live in NC.
Hi Anda, this is a spotted orbweaver of the genus Neoscona. The image is a bit blurry so I can’t ID the exact species. Possibly Neoscona domiciliorum: https://usaspiders.com/neoscona-domiciliorum-red-femured-spotted-orbweaver/
or Nescona crucifera.
Red-femured Spotted Orbweaver | Irmo, SC | 16-Sept-2022
Located in local parked under a shade tree and in garden flowers/bushes.
This little guy killed both the male and female living in their web. Anyone know what kind of spider?