I saw a couple examples of this arachnid on my recent trip to southern Illinois. One had her web in the vegetation along Snake Road and the other was at a gas station across the street from the hotel that I stayed. In late Summer and early Autumn, after the severe heat of Summer and before the leaves of trees begin to turn color, Hentz’s Orbweaver spiders become conspicuous.

Generally nocturnal, they may become day-active in the Fall. Females are about 1/2 an inch long, while males are somewhat smaller. The upper surface of the abdomen is brown and hairy. The legs display alternating light and dark brown bands. The undersurface of the abdomen is black, with two white spots.

Their orb-shaped web is very large and is often constructed on buildings and other man-made structures, sometimes several feet above ground, especially near outdoor lights. The orb part of the web may be nearly 2 feet in diameter. As with other orbweavers, they frequently replace their webs.

Flying insects such as moths and crane flies are their principal prey. Once caught in sticky strands of the web, they are bitten and trussed by the spider, which later eats them. Most people are not keen on having spiders around their homes (or of walking right into them on hiking trails) but remember that spiders do us the service of free, nontoxic pest control.

The amazing web patterns of spiders have fascinated humans for millennia. In Greek mythology, a skilled weaver named Arachne challenged the goddess Athena to a weaving contest that ended with the human being changed into a spider for her pride.

Third Eye Herp
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