# Oak Spider

*Aculepeira ceropegia*

The distinctive white and brown pattern on its abdomen closely mimics the lobed shape of an oak leaf, providing excellent camouflage.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Arachnida › Araneae › Araneidae › Aculepeira
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Sunny meadows, forest edges, shrublands, and tall grasslands.
- **Diet:** Flying insects such as flies, bees, moths, and aphids.
- **Range:** Europe, Central Asia, Siberia
- **Size:** Females: 11-15 mm, Males: 6-8 mm
- **Lifespan:** 1 year
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat destruction due to intensive agriculture, pesticide use, and premature meadow mowing.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and non-aggressive. Admire its beautiful oak-leaf abdominal pattern from a safe distance. Do not disturb its web. If bitten (rare, only under extreme duress), wash the area with soap and water; symptoms are milder than a bee sting.

## About

Aculepeira ceropegia , the oak spider , is an orb-weaving spider species belonging to the family Araneidae.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/62507a49-6fdd-41a5-b27a-2d061f83a9e2
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/121775
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aculepeira ceropegia
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/10754799/medium.jpeg (Kostas Zontanos, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.