Orb web spiders or orb-weavers

Family Araneidae

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Argiope bruennichi youngster in her wheel web

The Araneidae is a large family with more than 2500 species worldwide. In Europe 25 genera with 185 species are known.
Almost all these spiders make orb webs that are big in relation to the spider. The webs are denser in the center.
The genera Cyclosa and Argiope construct some sort of stabilizer in the center of the web.
The most famous spider in this family is the Araneus diadematus. Also called cross-spider, kruisspin, Kreuzspinne or Epeire diademe.
Although the name Araneidae is now preferred, in much of the older literature these spiders are called Argiopidae.

The Argiope is the 'Wow' spider in Europe. Argiope bruennichi Is a beautiful black, yellow and white striped spider that makes a zigzag in the center of its web.
A special page about this wasp spider See here --> Argiope.

More info about web building can be found here --> Web and silk

Araneus is probably one of the most spotted spiders because of their size, which varies between 8 and 20 mm, and their large webs. Especially during autumn these spiders become large and you may walk in their webs they construct during the morning. Also in the morning their webs are seen when the sun illuminates them, often full with dewdrops.
Courtship can be hazardous for the small male. The female makes her yellowish cocoon with 300 - 800 eggs in autumn and she dies. The eggs will hatch in May. The young spiders are yellow with are dark patch on the abdomen.

Younsters after hatching.

If the web is damaged by wind and rain or by the large amount of caught prey, silk of the web is eaten by the spider to conserve protein. Only the foundation lines are left and new radii and capturing spirals are constructed. Some of the orb weavers use their web for longer periods and replace only part, usually one half, of their web at one time.

The species varies a lot in color and markings.

Araneus diadematus male	Araneus diadematus
Because the spider is big and vivid, it is one of the most studied spiders. You can find them everywhere, but especially outside your window. (Probably they like TV watching as much as you do.)
Araneus diadematus female and male	Araneus diadematus can vary a lot in colouring and appearance.
Araneus diadematus	Araneus diadematus

Araneus angulatus	Araneus circe?

Araneus ZZ112	Araneus ZZ113
Araneus ZZ120	Araneus quadratus
Araneus quadratus	Araneus quadratus by Paul Beattle
Araneus marmoreus var. pyramidatus by Eric van Poppel	Araneus quadratus coloured to white

Of the two European species, only Aculepeira ceropegia occurs in the north. Their size varies between 12 and 15 mm.
The spider lives in bushes and low vegetation. They have a catching orb web and a hiding web.
Aculepeira ceropegia´s common name is "oak leaf" spiders. The pattern on their back resembles an oak leaf.

Aculepeira ceropegia	Aculepeira ceropegia
Aculepeira armida	Aculepeira armida

 The Agalenatea redii is the single European member of this genus. The male spider is between 3.5 and 4.5 mm, the female 5.5 - 7 mm. It has an almost circular body and can be identified by the v-sign at the front end of the abdomen.

This spider can be very variable in color.

Agalenatea redii females

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Araniella cucurbitina females

Araniella cucurbitina female and male.

and males below.

Araniella cucurbitina is similar to A. alpica (below) The red dot on the spinnerets is characteristic for this spider. Their size varies between 4 - 11 mm.

Araniella alpica	Araniella inconspicua
Araniella alpica lives in the Alps, as you would have guessed. The spider is very similar to Araniella inconspicua and Araniella opisthographa.

Araniella displicata guarding her eggs.

Araniella displicata female and probably male.
Araniella ??

More on this page
This is very beautiful spider a lot of people spot in their garden. As noted before the spider is not dangerous. The spider is easily recognized by the zigzag formation of white silk, which they weave in their web. Often it is a zigzag line through the center of the web or even a white cross of web material in which the spider is hanging.

It was thought that the zigzag of silk was made to strengthen the web but some neat experiments have shown that its function is to advertise the presence of their web to birds allowing them to avoid the web. Because the spider eats its old web before constructing a new one, destruction of the web by birds will lead to substantial protein loss. There is also a theory that suggests that the zigzag of silk attract insects because it reflects the ultra-violet radiation like flowers do.

Argiope bruennichi (youngster) or wasp spider.

This spider is about 20 mm in length. She makes her orb-web in long grass near the ground. The adult females have beautiful black, white and yellow markings.
The egg-sacs are large brown flask shaped and she hangs them in the web and guards until they hatch. She dies after the hatching of her eggs. The female often consumes the much smaller male after mating.

See also the Argiopes from the USA and on the Australian spider site.

Argiope bruennichi female.	Argiope bruennichi female.
Argiope trifasciata by Victor Falzon, Malta	Argiope trifasciata
Argiope lobata (H C Torreggiani, Malta)
Argiope lobata (Bill Sawyer)	Argiope lobata (Bill Sawyer)

Genus Atea

Atea sturmi

This spider lives on conifers and bushes and has a size of 3 -5 mm. She resembles Atea triguttata the other species in this genus.

Two members of this strange looking species can be found. Their small abdomen has a distinctive tubercle. Also the large webs are distinctive. It contains an irregular band of silk often full with debris. This camouflages the spider perfectly. The eggs are added later to this string.

Cyclosa conica	Cyclosa conica	Cyclosa conica

Four species occur in NW-Europe and their size varies between 4 and 7 mm. In both sexes the abdomen has a pair of extremeties on the front half of the abdomen.
They can be found on trees and bushes. Male and female are similar in apprearance .

Gibbaranea gibbosa	Gibbaranea gibbosa
Gibbaranea gibbosa	Gibbaranea gibbosa
Gibbaranea bituberculata	Gibbaranea bituberculata
Gibbaranea omoeda

All these spiders spin orb webs close to water.
The Larinioides sclopetarius tends to live on man-made steel objects and is seldom found on vegetation.
I found this spider in the dunes on a steel lock. The spider can be black and white but there are also brown variants.

.Larinioides sclopetarius	.Larinioides sclopetarius
Larinioides sclopetarius male	Larinioides sclopetarius male
Larinioides sclopetarius female	Larinioides patagiatus
Larinioides cornutus
Larinioides cornutus female	Larinioides cornutus male
Larinioides cornutus female	Larinioides cornutus
Larinioides cornutus female and male
Larinioides cornutus male

Genus Nuctenea

This spider can be found particularly under bark of dead trees where it hides during daytime. It has a flat abdomen. The male is about 9 mm, the female 14 mm in length.

Four species occur in NW-Europe. Their size varies between 2 and 5 mm. They have an oval abdomen with a fatty shine. Males can be entirely black. They spin their orb webs in low vegetation, often near water.

Singa nitidula

Singa hamata

Hypsosinga heri

	Only one species, Mangora acalypha, can be found in our regions. The size of the spider is between 2.5 and 4 mm. The spider spins it web almost horizontal on bushes and low vegetation. The web is not very large but contains up to 60 radii.

Genus Zilla Zilla diodia is only European member with a size of 2 - 5 mm. She prefer to make her web in the shade on bushes and heather. The spiders does not has a retreat but stays in the center of her web waiting for prey. The male is identical to the female

Zygiella x-notata can be found in the neighborhood of houses. In winter, it is the only orb web spider that continues to make webs.

Zygiella atrica male	Zygiella x-notata
Zygiella atrica female	Zygiella x-notata

Ed Nieuwenhuys, 29 september 2009
May 24, 2005