furrow orbweaver

furrow orbweaver (Larinioides cornutus) [dorsal view] [ventral view]
Photos © Illinois Department of Natural Resources

FEATURES
The female furrow orbweaver is about one-fourth to one-half inch in total body length while the smaller male is about two-tenths to one-third inch long. It has a large, dark mark on the abdomen that is darkest at the outer edges and fades toward the center. The sides of the abdomen below the dorsal, dark coloration are not marked. The abdomen and carapace have a shiny appearance. The general shape of this animal is a round body with short, thick legs.

BEHAVIORS
The furrow orbweaver is common near bodies of water, especially lakes. It often builds its web on buildings, too. Adults are present year-round. This species builds an orb-shaped web. It sits in the center of the web at night and sometimes during the day. It eats insects and other small invertebrates. It senses its prey in the web by vibrations. Once a prey item has been caught in the web, the spider wraps the prey in silk then bites it to paralyze it. The wrapped prey may be cut from the web then moved to the center of the web or taken to a hiding space and eaten. Sometimes the prey is stored for a time before being eaten. This species is found statewide.

​Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Chelicerata
Order: Araneae
Family: Araneidae