The western spotted orb weaver, Neoscona oaxacensis, is a large orb weaving spider found in the Southwestern United States and throughout Central and South America. In the United States, this large, dark-colored orb weaver is most commonly found in grape fields in California.
Western Spotted Orbweaver Description
While the spider can appear in a number of color variations throughout its range, specimens found in the United States have a large black or dark gray abdomen with numerous small cream-colored spots. A longitudinal cream-colored or yellow stripe with wavy borders runs along the entire back of the abdomen.
The legs of the western spotted orb weaver are spiny (or hairy) and most commonly with alternating black and cream-colored, yellow or orange bands.
The western spotted orb weaver can have a similar appearance to other orb weavers of the genus Neoscona. If the markings on the back are not very distinct and the spider has light colors, it can look very similar to spiders of the species Neoscona crucifera (spotted orb weaver). If the markings are very distinct, it can look similar to the arabesque orb weaver (Neoscona arabesca). Some specimen can also be confused with the tropical orb weaver (Eriophora ravilla). None of the orb weaver spiders found in the United States or elsewhere are medically significant.
Size
The body of the larger female western spotted orb weaver can reach a total size of 0.35-0.7 inches (9-18 mm). Male specimen usually have a smaller abdomen and are around 30 % smaller than females.
Web
As other orb weavers, Neoscona oaxacensis builds large orb-shaped webs in gardens, forests or fields to catch flying insects. Many sightings occurs in the vineyards and avocado orchards in California.
Bite
The western spotted orb weaver is not considered medically significant and a bite does usually not have any long-term effects on humans or larger pets. Symptoms of a bite can range from localized pain to swellings comparable to a bee sting. However, due to the large size of the spider, any bite wound should be disinfected properly to avoid secondary infections.
Neoscona oaxacensis range in the US
The western spotted orb weaver prefers a warm climate and is found in the Southwestern United States. While most sightings in the United States occur in California, it is also found in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma.
Neoscona oaxacensis scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Infraorder: Araneomorphae
- Family: Araneidae
- Genus: Neoscona
- Species: Neoscona oaxacensis
Next to it’s most used common name, the western spotted orb weaver, Neoscona oaxacensis is also referred to as western garden orbweaver.
References
- Taxon details: World Spider Catalogue
- Binominal name from: Keyserling, 1864
- http://idtools.org/id/table_grape/spider/factsheet.php?name=Neoscona+oaxacensis
- Keyserling, E. (1864), “Beschreibungen neuer und wenig bekannter Arten aus der Familie Orbitelae Latr. oder Epeiridae Sund.”, Sitzungsberichte und Abhandlungen der Naturwissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft Isis in Dresden (in German), 1863.
- Pascoe, F. H. (1980), A study of Neoscona oaxacensis (Araneae: Araneidae) in commercial avocado orchards in San Diego County, California. Calif. Avocado Soc 1980 Yearbook 64: 153-186.
I’m in El Centro, California and found this fella today. My dad and I’ve been going back and forth on what kind of spider this may be. We haven’t found any one spider that exactly matches this one. Would appreciate finding out what this lil guy is, thank you.
Hello Abigail, thanks for getting in touch! This is a male orb weaver. I can’t say the species with certainty but given its markings and your location, it could be a western spotted orb weaver (Neoscona oaxacaensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
This is in Temecula CA
Hello Lisa, thanks for getting in touch! This is a female western spotted orb weaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
I would like to know what kind of spider this is.
Hello David, thanks for getting in touch! Assuming you are located in the Western United States, this is most likely a western spotted orb weaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/#comment-2707
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Found this spider on the hood of my car. Tan in color with head larger than back, short legs.
This is a jumping spider.
Found this guy outside my door this morning. Which type of spider is it?
Hi Alvin, you are correct with your identification. This is a male western spotted orb weaver.
Southern Oregon. Please identify for me .THANKS DAVE
Hello David, thanks for getting in touch! This is a western spotted orb weaver (Neoscona oaxacensis).
Hi,
Is this a spotted orb weaver or barn spider? She made her web outside my window on the 12th floor of my NYC apartment. She is nocturnal and usually hangs upside down. I don’t think she rebuilds the web daily, but she does clean it when dust or debris get on it. Also last night she had a visitor which I’m guessing was a male looking to mate. (This taken after a tropical storm which caused some damage to her web)
This is the visitor hanging out by one of her catches.
Found above my tomato plant in my TX garden. What is it?? It has similar markings to a juvenile western spotted orb.. thoughts?
Hello Charity, I agree that this is a western spotted orb weaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
Hello Sandy, thanks for getting in touch! This is most likely a western spotted orb weaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
Found this outside our front door. Just wondering what to do with it.
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Here is a better picture I believe
Hello Thayne, thanks for getting in touch! Could you please share your location to help with the identification?
It looks like a western spotted orb weaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
Columbia, TN
What kind of spider?
Hello Audra, thanks for getting in touch! This is a furrow orb weaver (Larinioides sp.). Most likely Larinioides cornutus: https://usaspiders.com/larinioides-cornutus-furrow-spider/
I found this spider on my arctic cat. It was spinning a web on the door. I live in the desert and can’t find what type of spider it is.
Hello Brian, thanks for getting in touch! This is a western spotted orb weaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
It’s not a medically significant spider.
Found this spider a week or two ago outside my back door, up to the right. It has spun a fairly large round web, and I have noticed that the spider goes to the center of the web during the NIGHT and goes to this spot at the edge of the web and hidden under the ledge during the DAY. Anyone know what kind of spider this is? I also live in south Texas (Rio Grande Valley) if that helps identify.
Hello Amanda, thanks for getting in touch! This is a western spotted orb weaver (Nescona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
It will catch annoying flying insects at night. Great pest control.
Web type: 16” inch round
Spider size about same as large black widow.
Yellow/tan brown legs
Hello Bob, this is a western spotted orbweaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
It’s not medically significant.
I found this spider in Santa Clara, California in the front yard in on a huge circular web between a tree and bush.
Hello Molly, thanks for getting in touch! This is a western spotted orbweaver (Neoscona oaxcensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
it’s not a medically significant spider.
Here’s a nice closeup of one I took in Los Angeles
Hello Rob, thanks for sharing this find! This is a western spotted orbweaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
Hello! I found this spider and I haven’t been able to id yet. I live in Mesa, Az. I think it might be part of the cobweb spiders as the spiderweb looked similar to that of those spiders.
Hello Alessandra, thanks for getting in touch! I am fairly certain that this is a female orbweaver spider. Most likely a western spotted orbweaver: https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
Seems like it would be a western spotted orb weaver, but the markings aren’t as distinct as some shown here (not a juvenile) and certainly not orange.
Can you help identify this spider? I’m in Tucson Arizona.
Found in Mesa, Arizona in the summer. Kind of cream-colored with markings on the top of the abdomen, an odd kind of crab-shaped upper body, and spiny banded legs. The body was not very big, maybe half an inch or so, definitely smaller than most wolf spiders I see, and does not appear to have hair. I regret not getting a good look or picture of the underside or eyes.
Hi Bre, this is a juvenile western spotted orbweaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
Ah, I think I missed the response in my email somewhere and forgot to check again. I looked through like a billion pictures on the internet trying to find something that looked at all similar but nothing came up, and most spider ID sight search settings seem really general, like just color(s). The third picture on that link totally looks right though. Good to know it’s not dangerous, and it just looked weird enough to me I couldn’t help but be curious what it was. Thank you =)
Beautiful but what is it? Sacramento CA
Hi Gary, this is a spotted orb weaver (Neoscona sp.). My guess is this is a western spotted orbweaver (Neoscona oaxacensis):
https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
A picture of the upper body side would give more certainty.
If you are interested in learning more about spiders in California, check out our California spider identification and information book – available as an ebook here or as a printed paperback on Amazon.
Photo of this spider was taken August 29, 2022 in a state park in Tullahoma, TN on a swinging bridge. Black and white legs and overall size 1”. Can you provide ID please.
He has a good size web across an old pickup’s bed, He sits in the middle for hours on end, during the day. Love to know what type of spider this is.
Hi James, this is a western spotted orbweaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
Found this little guy on my sink one evening and I have several pics of this guy. He was about 1/4-1/2″ length, two Hine legs he hid under belly to look like he only had 6. His back looked like a cowboy boot with metal around toe. Now this pic he looks like a wolf eyes, ears, jowls, this Pic was eye level facing him
Found in Tucson AZ.
This spider is a red colour. I’ve never seen one like this before. Any ideas? Thanks!
Hi Rhone, this is a broad-faced sac spider – Trachelas tranquillus: https://usaspiders.com/trachelas-tranquillus-broad-faced-sac-spider/
Hi Schretz, this is a male western spotted orbweaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
Buckeye, AZ
Has a very intricate circular web. Some kind of orb weaver?
Hi Jeff, this is a western spotted orbweaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
Found this beauty in the corner of our Pima County, AZ porch. Her(?) web is orb-shaped and spans about 2.5ft at the longest side of the triangle; leaves it up but hides in the rafters during the day. There’s a circular hole in the web. She’s got three vertical stripes on her belly (couldn’t get a good picture in the dark last night) and her body is less than an inch long, maybe around a half inch. Her top side is white and cream and her legs have black stripes. I have more pictures I can send via email if that helps. Thank you!
Hi Stephie, thanks for the pictures! This is a western spotted orbweaver (Neoscona oaxacensis): https://usaspiders.com/western-spotted-orb-weaver-neoscona-oaxacensis/
I came across this beauty. We are in Central Texas.
Pretty sure it is an Orb Weaver, but I haven’t found any pictures of blue and black ones like this.
Hey April! After a quick google search, your spider looks like a hump-backed Orb Weaver, Eustala Anastera! Some spiders in the images have similar patterns and colorations. Results seem consistent to me! Hope this helps
This spider has been living next to my backyard patio light which has a patio cover. Have been watching it form is circular web, catch a mosquito’s (large and small) then rebuild its web right away. My granddaughter is scared it’s going to fall to the ground, and bite my little dogs or me& wants me to kill it. Please tell me what kind of spider and should I be worried?
This spider is found on the state of mexico, tenopalco, middle mexico. There is allot of them, each very different than their other.