The web of the Lattice Orb Weaver Spider is a neat round of silky ladders, radiating from the center in a classic web Charlotte would have loved.
The characteristics of how a web is shaped makes for useful information when trying to identify its owner. The Lattice Orb Weaver Spider builds a web that looks like a screen or trellis. The spider itself has an orange colored head region and legs. Its rounded abdomen is much paler. The yellow and orange coloring can vary in depth among individuals, but all of them create similar looking webs. Three pair of black dots run down the center of the abdomen. Each spot has a very pale ring around it.
Lattice Orb Weavers can be found in meadows, tall grasses and bushes, as well as in fields and pastures. Their small orb-shaped webs are usually built low to the ground, not at elevations that most people would see before walking through. Females lay eggs in autumn. The fertilized eggs are wrapped in an egg sac spun out of her silk. Spiderlings may hatch during part of the winter or they may overwinter completely, depending on the weather. All adults die in winter.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Arachnida
Order:Araneae
Family:Araneidae
Genus:Araneus
Species:thaddeus
Identifying Information
Scientific Name: Araneus thaddeus
Category:
Spider
Size (Adult; Length): 4mm to 9mm (0.16in to 0.35in)
Note: An insect's reach is not limited by lines drawn on a map and therefore species may appear in areas, regions and/or states beyond those listed above as they are driven by environmental factors (such as climate change), available food supplies and mating patterns. Grayed-out selections indicate that the subject in question has not been reported in that particular territory. U.S. states and Canadian provinces / territories are clickable to their respective bug listings.
Spider Anatomy
1
Legs: Spiders have four pairs of legs and these are attached to the cephalothorax.
2
Pedipalps: Small appendages near the mouth used as taste and smell organs.
3
Cephalothorax: Contains eyes, head, mouthparts, and legs.
4
Abdomen: Contains various organs related to digestion, reproduction, and web-making.
5
Spinnerets: Used in the production of spider silk for fashioning webs or catching prey.
NOTE: Unlike insects, spiders have both an endoskeleton (internal) and exoskeleton (external).
Colors: yellow; brown; black; pink; ivory; orange
