White Micrathena
Micrathena mitrata
The female's abdomen features two small spines and a pale, domed shape resembling a bishop's miter hat, which inspired its scientific name 'mitrata'.
- Scientific name
- Micrathena mitrata
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Arachnida › Araneae › Araneidae › Micrathena
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous forests, woodland edges, and dense understory vegetation.
- Diet
- Small flying insects, including gnats, flies, mosquitoes, and aphids.
- Range
- Eastern United States, Central United States, Northern Mexico
- Size
- Females: 4-6 mm, Males: 2-3 mm
- Lifespan
- 1 year
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Pesticide runoff, loss of forest understory, and habitat fragmentation.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans. These docile orb-weavers will only bite if pinched or handled roughly. Observe their intricate webs from a safe distance of 1-2 feet. If bitten, wash the bite site with soap and water; the venom is mild and comparable to a minor sting.
Micrathena mitrata , the white micrathena , is a species of orb weaver in the family of spiders known as Araneidae. It is found in a range from the United States to Brazil.
Photo: Judy Gallagher, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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