Micrathena Sagittata Spider 

(Arrow-shaped Micrathena)

One of my favorite little spiders, the Arrow-Shaped Micrathena. I usually find this striking spider locate in my holly bushes in the late summer. Last year I didn’t have the pleasure of seeing any in my yard, but this year I have been lucky to find 2 females located on the edge of the woods.

The Arrow-Shaped Micrathena can be found in the USA in 12 states. It is one of the smallest orb-weaving spiders. The abdomen in both sexes have a distinctive arrow shape to them. The female has a bright yellow abdomen and is quite larger than the male. The male’s abdomen is black with some white edging. It differs quite a bit from the female making it hard to recognize as the same species.

Webs are usually built near the ground in forested areas, but one of the ones I located this years is about 5 feet in the air. That would be something terrifying to walk into. The web is built every morning and the spider will leave a hole in the center where it hangs upside down waiting on its prey. The web will then be removed in the evening and consumed by the spider.