Spiders of North Carolina

Order:
Scientific Name: Common Name:		Family (Alpha):

View	Araneidae Members:	NC Records
Araneus pegnia - Butterfly orbweaver

Male

Taxonomy

Order: ARANEAE

Infraorder: Araneomorphae

Family: Araneidae

Identification

Online Description/Photos: The prosoma is light tan to pale orange. There is usually a visible dark midline, although it often does not run the entire length of the prosoma. The opisthosoma is tan to brown. At the anterior end, there is a marking that many observers compare to outspread butterfly wings. The marking is usually tan to yellow but can also be deep pink in some cases. The legs are banded. (Rose, 2022)

BugGuide Google, iNaturalist, Wikipedia, GBIF

Technical Description: Spiders of North America - Bradley; Spiders of the Carolinas – Gaddy; Bugguide Kaston, B. J. (1948). Spiders of Connecticut. Bulletin of the Connecticut State Geological and Natural History Survey 70: 1-874.

Comments: Abdomen has distinctive four oval areas that vaguely resemble a pair of butterfly wings. These oval areas are usually pale, sometimes even pink in color. Behind these pale light spots on the abdomen are paired dark bands. The cephalothorax and legs are dull or yellow colored. The legs can be banded or plain. Gaddy noted in South Carolina that A. pegnia on barrier islands had pink, white or yellowish, but inland species were yellow to gray.

Total Length: Small, female 3.5-8.2 mm, male 2.5-4.9 mm

Adult ID: identifiable by photo

Structural photos

spm. dbz20211027001 NCBP5630

Distribution in North Carolina

Comments: Statewide in North Carolina, more common in the coastal plain. Widespread throughout the eastern United States. Adults summer to fall though can be found any month of the year.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.


Adult phenology: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: forest, shrubby areas, wet areas including bogs, buildings; in Rhododendron maximum. These spiders often build their webs in low shrubby vegetation, but webs can also be found under the eaves of buildings or on fences. The spider’s retreat looks like a small Araneus thaddeus (lattice orbweaver) retreat but is much smaller and less structured. The web will sometimes have a tangle web attached, similar to that built by Metepeira labyrinthea (labyrinth orbweaver). The webs sometimes lack a sector, similar to Zygiella x-notata. There is usually a line that runs from the retreat to the hub of the web. (Rose, 2022)
Observation Methods: Sweep net, beating.
Abundance/Frequency: Can be common.
Silk / Web: Individuals of A. pegnia build orb webs in shrubs on bogs and sim- ilar habitats. The orb is approximately 10 cm in diameter, has about 30 radii, and there may be an open sector in the upper half. There is a retreat, which is con- nected to the hub by a signal thread, and also a large, loose irregular ,mass of threads "similar to that in the web of Metepeira labyrinthea" (Kaston 1948).
Predators: Commonly preyed upon by mud dauber wasps.
Behavior: In evenings it builds a distinctive web in shrubs or low branches of trees, hiding in the retreat throughout the day. Web is similar to a labyrinth orbweaver, with both an orb and tangle web. The spider usually waits in its retreat, holding a telegraph line attached to the hub of the orb. The silk retreat is a relatively large tent.

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks:

State Protection:

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Araneus pegnia - Butterfly orbweaver		50 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
	Recorded by: Sarah on 2025-10-01 Hoke Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Sarah on 2025-10-01 Hoke Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Sarah on 2025-10-01 Hoke Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-15 Ashe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-15 Ashe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-12 Ashe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-12 Ashe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-11 Ashe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-11 Ashe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2025-06-01 Currituck Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-10-25 Brunswick Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark BASINGER & Donald ZEPP on 2024-08-23 Edgecombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-08-22 Macon Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-08-22 Macon Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-07-23 Macon Co. Comment:	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-25 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2024-05-10 Chatham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2023-10-19 Dare Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-11 Wilson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-11 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2023-08-13 Buncombe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-10-31 Stokes Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Hunter Phillips on 2022-10-21 Onslow Co. Comment:	Recorded by: David George on 2022-08-15 Avery Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-08-06 Yancey Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2022-05-11 Pender Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2022-03-23 New Hanover Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn on 2022-03-23 New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Donald ZEPP on 2021-10-27 Johnston Co. Comment: Palpal detail may be seen in "Structural photos," above.	Recorded by: Donald ZEPP on 2021-10-27 Johnston Co. Comment:

Araneus pegnia - Butterfly orbweaver

Photo Gallery for Araneus pegnia - Butterfly orbweaver

50 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.