Venusta Orchard Spider
Leucauge is a species of spiders related to Long Jawed Orb Weavers (Tetragnathidae). They are usually found in warmer areas. There are several varieties in this species - Leucauge venusta, Leucauge dromedaria (known as the silver or horizontal orb weaver, and Leucauge celebesiana. Here's some photos of Venusta Orchard Spiders (Leucauge venusta) and others in this species. The Venusta Orchard Spider, whose Latin name venusta means beautiful, is a small (7mm) orbweaver. The Venusta Orchard Spider (Leucauge) spider has bright green and silvery-white markings on its body. Some specimens have yellow, orange, or reddish markings. Males are half the size of females. They carry their egg-shaped abdomens high. The legs are very long. This spider lives in open, light areas, on one foot-wide orb webs built on trees and shrubs. They are not considered harmful to humans.
Photos below are of Lecauge Venusta (Venusta Orchard Spider) and 2 photos of Leucauge Celebesiana included first with Venusta Orchard Spider photos, Leucauge Thomeensis, and Festive Silver March Spider. Please click the name to go to the photos.
All photos are copyright to their owners and may not be reproduced without permission.
Lecauge Venusta (Venusta Orchard Spider) and 2 photos of Leucauge Celebesiana included first. [top]
Lecauge Thomeensis [top]
Silver Marsh Spider [top]
The Festive Silver Marsh (Leucage festiva) spider found in Africa, is also a member of this species. Some species of long-jaws stand at the side of their web, keeping their legs on a radial spoke in order to detect vibrations that signal the arrival of prey. They are very adept at dropping out of sight at the slightest disturbance, or carefully camouflaging themselves as thorns or simply hiding lined up with the long axis of a twig or grass blade. They live in meadows and marshes, woodland edges. Food: insects. Most members of this family do not build vertical webs, they are usually tilted and sometimes close to horizontal. In some species, only the spiderlings produce webs. The orchard spiders build their webs in shrubs or trees. (Some photos sourced from the web, all copyright is acknowledged)
