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The furrow orbweaver is a common orb-weaving spider of damp places, often found near lakes and streams and on buildings, fences, and bridges. It hides by day and comes out in the evening to sit in the center of its web. It lives throughout North America, as well as across Europe and Asia. It's also called the furrow spider or foliate spider.

Appearance

Appearance
Females are about ¼–½ in (6–14 mm) long; males are smaller, about 5–9 mm. The body is round with short, thick, banded legs, and the abdomen and look shiny. A large dark mark with smooth zigzag edges covers the top of the abdomen, and colors range from pale gray to tan, brown, or reddish.

Look-alikes

Bridge orbweaver (gray cross spider)Larinioides sclopetarius

Grayer and darker overall, with longer legs and a carapace usually edged in white hairs. It mostly lives on bridges, docks, and other structures near lights over water and is seldom found on plants.

Why they get mixed upSame genus, similar shape and pattern; the two were once proposed to be one species.

Ornamental orbweaverLarinioides patagiatus

Duller, with sharper, more jagged zigzags on the abdomen. The surest outward clue is a dark band in the middle of the next-to-last segment of the hindmost legs, which the furrow orbweaver lacks; you'll need a sharp close-up photo to see it.

Why they get mixed upSame genus, overlapping range in North America, and very similar body shape and markings.

Where it lives

Typical habitats
  • Lakeshores and streamsides
  • Wet meadows
  • Hedges and low shrubs
  • Buildings, fences, and bridges
Range
Found across most of North America, and also in Europe and Asia.
Preferred conditions
Prefers moist spots, especially low plants near ponds and lakes, but readily builds webs under bridges, below eaves, under porches, and near porch lights.
When to see it

In Illinois

Active Jan–Dec

Behavior

Diet
Flying insects such as gnats, mosquitoes, damselflies, and moths. It senses prey through web vibrations, wraps it in silk, and may carry it to its retreat or store it to eat later.
Activity
Mostly active at night. It spends the day in a silk retreat near the web and rebuilds or repairs its orb web in the late evening. Adults can be found year-round in Illinois.
Overwintering
It often survives the winter, so full-grown adults can be seen in spring.

Life cycle

Reproduction
Males approach a female by carefully plucking the threads of her web. Females make three to five yellow egg sacs and hide them in silk on nearby plants or in the web; the young hatch in about 3–4 weeks but stay in the sac for several more weeks.
Lifespan
Up to about two years.

Cautions

Cautions
Bites are rare and not dangerous; they may cause mild pain, numbness, or swelling.

Conservation

IUCN Red List
NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

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Furrow Orbweaver (Larinioides cornutus) — identification, habitat & look-alikes | Moeyo