Orchard Orb-weaver Spider

A jewel toned beauty in a spider. Tiny too. Orchard Orb-weaver Spider (Leucauge). Most males are smaller than females. The males are about an eighth of an inch long. The female about a quarter inch long. Tiny.

I’ve happened upon these spiders on several visits to central Florida. I believe these are females because their bodies are about a quarter inch in length.

They are hard workers, consuming things that often are pests to us humans, such as flies, moths, beetles, wasps and mosquitoes. Some of the pests they eat are a help to farmers, pests that would otherwise damage commercial crops. Good to see them.

Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

4 thoughts on “Orchard Orb-weaver Spider”

  2. Thanks bunches Ken! There’s so much BEAUTY in Nature. I try my best to capture what I can, though these spiders were a challenge with a body at just 1/4 inch!

    Thanks for reading my posts!
    Bren

    1. Thanks for the compliment on the photos Kathy. These tiny critters are quite the challenge for me and my camera, but I try and try. The only place I see them is down at Mom’s so you must be there, in their favorite place! SO LUCKY for sure, since they are so beautiful!

      Thanks bunches for reading my posts!
      Bren

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