Bridge Orb Weaver

The Bridge Orb Weaver (Larinioides sclopetarius), is another member of the family Araneidae. It can be found outside of Indiana in the majority of the Great Lakes region states as well as Central Europe. Male bridge orb weavers are 8 to 9 millimeters long, while females range in length from 10 to 14 millimeters. Their legs have bands of tan and white, and they mostly have a grey appearance. They are also known by the name grey cross spider because of a striking light grey cross-shaped marking on their abdomens.

Bridge orb weavers, as its name suggests, typically construct their webs on man-made structures like bridges. Their huge, 2-foot diameter webs are frequently found on steel buildings that receive a lot of direct sunshine. Like other orb weavers, they rarely act aggressively toward humans and their bite is not medically significant.