Cucumber Green Spider
Araniella cucurbitina
This spider has a tiny, bright red mark on the underside of its abdomen near the spinnerets, which is often hidden while it sits on a leaf.
- Scientific name
- Araniella cucurbitina
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Arachnida › Araneae › Araneidae › Araniella
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous forests, woodland edges, hedgerows, and well-vegetated gardens.
- Diet
- Small flying insects such as gnats, aphids, and flies caught in its orb web.
- Range
- Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Central Asia, China, Korea, Japan
- Size
- Females reach 4.5-9.5mm; males are smaller at 3.5-4.5mm.
- Lifespan
- 1 year
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Widespread pesticide use in gardens and loss of hedgerow connectivity.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans. This spider is non-aggressive and its fangs are typically too small to penetrate human skin. If encountered, observe its vibrant green coloration from a short distance; do not intentionally destroy its web. No medical action is necessary upon contact.
Araniella cucurbitina , sometimes called the "cucumber green spider", is a spider of the family Araneidae. Females grow up to 6 millimetres (0.24 in), males only up to 4 mm (0.16 in). The spider is mainly found on forest clearings, where it weaves its orb-web between leaves and flowers. These webs are only about 100 mm (3.9 in) in diameter.
Photo: Emanuele Santarelli, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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