Bug FAQStarbellied Orbweaver
Acanthepeira stellata · Order: Araneae · Family: Araneidae
The starbellied orbweaver has a spiky abdomen that gives it its name. It lives along the east and west coasts of North America, from Canada down to Mexico. Females lay about 574 eggs per clutch, each egg about 1 mm across and weighing roughly half a milligram.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The abdomen is covered with several spikes that inspired its common name.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is most often found on the eastern and western coastlines of North America. Like other orb weavers, it spins vertical webs at night to catch flying insects.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
A female produces clutches of roughly 574 eggs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range extends from Canada in the north to Mexico in the south.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 36 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How many eggs does a female starbellied orbweaver lay?
A female lays about 574 eggs per clutch.
Source: Wikipedia
What size are the eggs of the starbellied orbweaver?
Each egg measures roughly 1.04 mm in diameter and weighs about 0.55 mg.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find starbellied orbweavers?
They are most common along the eastern and western coastlines of North America, from Canada to Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
What does the starbellied orbweaver look like?
Its abdomen is covered with several spikes, giving it a star-like appearance.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Araneidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthepeira_stellata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.