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Orb weaver spiders leverage their massive webs to sustain their diet of small insects and invertebrates. Orb spiders spin complex, organized webs that can reach up to three feet in diameter using radial strands of silk that look like spokes on a wheel. While it is difficult to distinguish orb weaver spiders based on their appearance, a dead giveaway that one is nearby is their large, circular webs. However, depending on the species, the colors and shape can be much different. Spiny orb weaver spiders are often brightly colored with a yellow or white abdomen, black spots, and red spines. With six pointed spines poking out of their oval-shaped abdomen, spiny orb weaver spiders are often called crab spiders because their crustacean-looking shell. Spiny orb weaver spiders look much differentfrom any other spider in the family. Sometimes, garden orb weavers can even be spotted with a white or brown dorsal stripe. Their fat, roughly triangular abdomens are usually reddish-brown or grey with a leaf-shaped pattern.
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Garden Orb Weaver SpiderĬommonly seen in the United States, garden orb weaver spiders are typically between 1.5-3 centimeters in body length. Because of this variability, it is difficult to differentiate orb weaver spiders from other orb weaver species and even other spider families. Almost all the different species vary in color and shape. The orb weaver spider family is the third largest in the world.