50 More Urban Species #38: Six-spotted Orb-weaver

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Six-spotted orb-weaver Araniella displicata

The six-spotted orb-weaver is a very small member of the group of spiders that include the very large garden spiders. I was surprised by the "common" name of this species, since I could not see the spots until I zoomed the photo until the spider nearly filled the frame. This specimen was only about 2mm long, but they get to be two or three times that size. They hang in their webs in grassy areas and weedy lots, catching insects many times larger than themselves.