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Usually, it is only the female spider that is seen. She is about 1/2
inch long, with a chunky abdomen that has ten spines on it. The abdomen
varies in color; usually it is whitish, yellow, or brownish-black. The
cephalothorax (front section) is much smaller than the abdomen, and it
is amber-colored. This spider's legs are glossy black. The male Spined Micrathena is about half the size of the female. It
has only a couple of spines and a much flatter abdomen. Only females
build webs. To trap prey, the Spined Micrathena builds her web between shrubs or
small trees, three to seven feet off the ground. Insects that try to fly
in between the trees don't see the web and get stuck. First, the
micrathena weaves three main lines of web; then she builds her orb
(circular part of the web). The orb is six to eight inches across. As
soon as the sun goes down, she eats her web. When the sun comes up, she
builds it again. The silk for the web comes from the tip of her abdomen.
She weaves the silk with her hind legs. Predators of micrathenas include
the usual spider-eaters, such as birds, toads, frogs, and lizards.
Female micrathenas build an "escape line" into their web. They also make
a low-pitched buzzing sound when they are disturbed. You can hear it if
you're very close to the web.
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23 August, 2009:
I live in Western Pa and found this spider while working inside of our new chicken coop and was wondering if you could give me some information on it and if it belongs in this area. Thanks Kim |
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4 September, 2008:
Thanks so much Glen,
I attach photos of a couple of other spiders I have seen recently.
Feel free to upload them to your web if you like them!!
Thanks again!!
edu
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4 September, 2008:
Hi,
Thanks for you very nice site. I’m living in Holland, and in our Holliday in Venezuela I made a photo of this spider,. Can you tell me what it is?
Regards from Holland,
Eric
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22 August, 2008:
Hello my name is Chad, I live in Corpus Christi, and found this spider today and was wondering if you could help me ID it.
Thanks
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22 August, 2008:
Hello!
I recently moved from California to Western Pennsylvania and have a few spiders that I am not sure if they are poisonous or just scary. All of them were found on cars that are just sitting around. If you need the pictures sent as a file to identify, please let me know. I am extremely fearful of spiders and have been having nightmares about these characters so I need to know what they are!
My future sleep thanks you!
Wendy |
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5 August, 2008:
Hello,
Any idea what this one is?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcole/2730075498/ I found it while taking a stroll
in the woods and almost lost my sh*&^. F**&^% awful.
Cheers,
Dennis P.S. I'm not really a spider fan |
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11 August, 2007:
Hi, I was wondering if you could help my dad and I
identify this spider. We found him under our porch. Shana from Guilford, Connecticut
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5 August, 2007:
hi, I live in northern
new jersey. came across your website trying to find what type of
spider I was looking at. great site by the way.. any information
would be helpful, thanks. Blake
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4 September, 2006:
hello,
I live in Northwest Indiana, and I was wondering what kind of
spider this is. It is a really small spider, about the size of a
pinky nail. No more than a quarter inch. Thanks.
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3 September, 2006:
Thanks so much. I am just really curious about this little
guy, because he is so unusual. I'm sure you'll tell me
it's a very common spider, but no one I've shown it to has ever
seen one before. Thanks again
Sharon
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19 August, 2006:
Dear Friends, I took these pictures this afternoon in our backyard in
Southeastern PA. My first thought was that it looked like a
crab, with a hard body. But it doesn't seem to be a "crab
spider." Do you recognize it? Deb |
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19 August, 2006:
what are these? |
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19 August, 2006:
Hello. I like your site, its really great how you help people
out. I found this spider in a park in florida and I've looked
everywhere on the internet for it but havent found a thing. I
would appreciate it SO much if you would be able to tell me
anything about it. Thank you so much!
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18 August, 2006:
Hi could u tell me what kind of spider this is?
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6 November, 2005:
Hi Glen, I have some photos of some spiders I’ve photographed. I think
I might be right on the ones I’ve identified but I’m not
sure. If you wouldn’t mind trying to figure out what these
little guys are I would greatly appreciate it.
Sincerely, Quinten (Louie) Adams
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6 November, 2005:
I found a weird spider and was wondering what it is? I live
in New Jersey if that helps at all.
Thanks,
Cindi |
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3 November, 2005:
I used your web site to ID this spider as Spined micrathena,
isn't it beautiful?
Your web site is very informative and the photos are great. |
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6
October, 2005:
Hi there, I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of
spider this is. I found him outside around my porch he is upside
down, but appears to have a some kind of thorny thing on his back,
on his belly it does have some coloring. Is this harmless? Thanks,DD |
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14 September, 2005:
Glen,
This guy is on my back porch. I live in Southwestern Pennsylvania,
specifically Donora, Washington County. Please email me if you can
tell me about it. Also, I cut this pic to 800x600 if you want a cool
background.
Thanks,
Eric E. Allard |
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Reply: Micrathena gracilis, the spiny/
spined micrathena. Nathan Hepworth
1 August, 2005:
I've attached a picture of spider I found on a bush outside
my house (I live in western PA). I've looked everywhere on the web,
but haven't been able to identify it. I've never seen anything like
it before. Can you help?
thanks,
Ann |
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Reply: That is a
species of Micrathena, possibly Micrathena gracilis. It is not
dangerous. Nathan Hepworth
5
November, 2004:
Hi: My name is Victor
Carpizo, I photographed this weird specimen near Mexico City and I
would like to know if it´s dangerous. Best Regards,
Victor Carpizo |
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Reply: That is a spined Micrathena,
species Micrathena gracilis. A harmless oddity.
Nathan Hepworth
15
September, 2004:
I live in Ohio.. Could you tell me what kind of spider this
is?? thanks, Ami Todd |
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Reply: This looks like some sort of spiny Micrathena.
14
September, 2004:
My son pointed this spider out to me today. I haven't seen
this before. Can you tell me what it is?? Thanks!
Ilona |
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7
September, 2004
Hey Glen my name is Dave a couple of weeks ago while camping
in Michigan I woke up in the morning and found this spider species
with its web attached to my tent. I have included one picture with
this email but I took about 6 or 7 more pictures. The picture I sent
is the top side of the spider. The bottom side of the spider is even
more colorful. Let me know if you want to see them. Do you have any
idea what kind of spider this is? I have never seen a body shape and
or color combinations like this before. Hey maybe its a freak of
nature the campgrounds is located next to a nuclear plant !!!
Dave |
Reply: It is a spiny micrathena -
Araneidae Micrathena sagittata, one of the orb weaving family. |
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1 September, 2004
My son spotted this interesting spider while we were walking through
a wooded area. I must admit that I had never seen a spider quite
like this one. We called him a "crab" spider for a long time because
the name sounded appropriate at the time, but now, after much
searching on the Internet, I believe this an Orb Weaver which can be
identified by family/genus/species as a
Araneidae Micrathena sagittata. I'm certainly not a spider
expert so my identification could be incorrect. This frightful
looking fellow looks as though he could defend his own turf without
any problem.
Dale Parsons
The spider and I reside in Tulsa Oklahoma USA |
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18 July, 2004:
I'm sorry now I didn't take the time to take more photos of
this spider which I found on an orb shaped web suspended in the
doorway of a tool shed. I'd noticed the web earlier but then later
walked through it in a hurry to find a tool I needed. The spider
ended up on
my arm and when I brushed it away I noticed it was unusual. I found
it crawling on the floor and at that time it's back looked very much
like the photo's Arya A. Sadhana took and that are posted on your
site. It reminded me of a large fly when looking at the back.
I live in central West Virginia in the US. I left it suspended on a
web strand hanging from the bail of a small bucket where it had
crawled and appeared to have settled in for the afternoon. Tonight
it is gone and I hope to find it in a web somewhere on my back porch
in the morning. I'd love to know what the heck this spider is
called.
Wes Jones |
Reply: It looks like a
spiny micrathena. |
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