typical cobweb spiders

(Theridion spp.)

Overview

Theridion is a large genus of cobweb spiders. There are about 580 currently recognized species worldwide according to the World Spider Catalog, but new species are still being defined. There are 65 species in North America north of Mexico, and at least 8 species in Minnesota. They occur worldwide on every continent except Antarctica and have been recorded in every state in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Theridion spiders build cobwebs, also called tangle webs, usually on plants, where they are found on the underside of leaves, on tall grasses, or on shrubs and trees. They sometimes build webs in protected areas on buildings. During the day they hide near the web. At night they hang upside down on the underside of the web.

 
typical cobweb spider (Theridion sp.)
Photo by Babette Kis
 
Description

Theridion are small to medium-sized, 132 to 3 16 (1 to 5 mm) long, cobweb spiders. Most are light colored and live on plants, some are dark-colored and live in the crevices of rocks and logs. The upper plate on the front part of the body (carapace) is usually slightly longer than wide and does not have a distinct depression in the middle. The rear row of four eyes is straight when viewed from above. The front (anterior) middle (median) eyes (AME) are a little larger or a little smaller than the others. On females, the jaw-like mouthparts (chelicerae) have one or two teeth on the front (anterior) margin and no teeth on the rear (posterior) margin. The legs are long. The abdomen is oval to nearly spherical, usually longer than high, and sometimes wider than long.

Distribution

Distribution Map

 

Sources

24, 29, 30, 82.

10/4/2024    
Taxonomy

Class

Arachnida (arachnids)

Order

Araneae (spiders)

Suborder

Araneomorphae (typical spiders)

Infraorder

Entelegynae

Superfamily

Araneoidea (orbweavers and allies)

Family

Theridiidae (cobweb spiders)

Subfamily

Theridiinae

   

Subordinate Taxa

cobweb spider (Theridion dividuum)

common house combfoot (Theridion melanurum)

different cobweb weaver (Theridion differens)

eastern long-legged cobweaver (Theridion frondeum)

fence long-legged cobweaver (Theridion murarium)

Hawaiian happyface spider (Theridion grallator)

holarctic long-legged cobweaver (Theridion hemerobium)

hooked long-legged cobweaver (Theridion petraeum)

large-spined long-legged cobweaver (Theridion glaucescens)

painted cobweb weaver (Theridion pictum)

Purcell’s theridion comb-feet spider (Theridion purcelli)

pyramidal theridion (Theridion pyramidale)

white long-legged cobweaver (Theridion albidum)

   

Synonyms

 

   

Common Names

typical cobweb spiders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Carapace

The hard, upper (dorsal), shell-like covering (exoskeleton) of the body or at least the thorax of many arthropods and of turtles and tortoises. On crustaceans, it covers the cephalothorax. On spiders, the top of the cephalothorax made from a series of fused sclerites.

 

Chelicerae

The pair of stout mouthparts, corresponding to jaws, in arachnids and other arthropods in the subphylum Chelicerata.

 

 

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Alfredo Colon

typical cobweb spider (Theridion sp.)    
     
typical cobweb spider (Theridion sp.)   typical cobweb spider (Theridion sp.)
     
typical cobweb spider (Theridion sp.)  

typical cobweb spider (Theridion sp.)

Babette Kis

typical cobweb spider (Theridion sp.)

Theridion spp. (typical cobweb spiders)

Theridion sp. (typical cobweb spider), Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., Wisconsin. Photo was taken on June 30, 2022. This spider was on the underside of a Solomon's seal leaf at the hedgerow adjacent to the prairie.

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Spider - Theridion #spider #theridion #örümcek
Arslan

About

May 22, 2020

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Visitor Sightings
 

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Alfredo Colon
7/7/2024

Location: Albany, NY

typical cobweb spider (Theridion sp.)
Alfredo Colon
6/10/2024

Location: Albany, NY

typical cobweb spider (Theridion sp.)
Babette Kis
6/30/2022

Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI

Theridion sp. (typical cobweb spider), Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., Wisconsin. Photo was taken on June 30, 2022. This spider was on the underside of a Solomon's seal leaf at the hedgerow adjacent to the prairie.

typical cobweb spider (Theridion sp.)
Alfredo Colon
7/3/2021

Location: Woodbury, MN

typical cobweb spider (Theridion sp.)
Alfredo Colon
5/30/2021

Location: Woodbury, MN

typical cobweb spider (Theridion sp.)
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Created: 1/2/2023

Last Updated:

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