Hobbies And Interests
Black and Yellow Garden Spider
Black and yellow garden spiders are most active during the summer and can commonly be found in gardens and wooded areas. These spiders have a distinct yellow and black pattern on their abdomen, as well as orange and black stripes around each of their legs. The males are small, measuring approximately 5 to 8 mm, whereas the females measure around 19 to 28 mm. These spiders spin their webs from the center out, in a zigzag and spiral pattern.
Orb Weaver
The spiders of this species greatly vary in color, size and shape. The most common orb weaver traits include a rounded abdomen, black, orange and brown coloring, and long, lengthy legs. The males typically measure up to 6 mm, and the females range from 10 to 20 mm in overall size. These spiders are most active during the night and can be found in grassy corners, unprotected porches and even those nooks and crannies of your house. Orb weavers are very protective over their webs as they lie in wait for oncoming insects. These spiders are also known to re-spin a new web every night.
Spined Micrathena Spider
The spined micrathena spider is harmless to humans and can be found in bushy, wooded areas. The female spiders spin large, tightly coiled webs approximately 12 inches in diameter. The females have a white or light yellow coloring speckled with black. They measure 8 to 10 mm and have a chunky, bulbous abdomen lined with 10 spiny ridges. The male Micrathena spiders tend to have more black than the females. Instead, they have a flat, extended abdomen that is yellow and white. The males typically measure up to 4.5 mm and only have one to two spines.
Triangulate Cobweb Spider
This spider gets its name from the triangular pattern on its abdomen. The triangulate cobweb spider is also known as the common house spider and is very small, measuring only 3 to 6 mm. These spiders are most active in the dark which is why they are commonly found in dark corners like those in your house, porch, basement and garages. Triangulate spiders are brownish orange and black, with distinctive yellow and brown spots on their abdomen. They have poor eyesight and rely on vibrations from their webs, which are commonly spun in corners.
Black Widow
The black widow is one of two venomous spiders found in Missouri. This spider is nocturnal and can be found under rocks, logs, dark and unused buildings, basements and crawl spaces. The females spin small webs underneath rocks that feature a tiny funnel for hiding. The female black widows have a distinctive, glossy black body with a red hourglass shape on its abdomen. They are 8 to 10 mm in size and tend to be shy. The males are also black, but they have yellow and red bands over the body. They are half the size of the females and only measure 4 to 5 mm. Only the female is venomous and when she bites, the victim will experience extreme pain, dizziness, nausea and difficulty breathing.