Spiders of North Carolina

Arachnids of North Carolina

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

Metepeira labyrinthea - Labyrinth orbweaver Araneidae Members:			NC Records	BugGuide Account	Public View

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Male

Female

Distribution Records
PDF

Vetting Levels

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

Click on graph to enlarge

synonym

taxonomic_comments

species_comment

id_comments

Coloration variable, abdomen is hairy, brown with a black lobed folium, edged in white, that gets smaller towards posterior. Variable white markings in black folium on front of abdomen, making cross or arrow type markings similar to some Neoscona. Cephalothorax dark and covered in hairs. Legs have brown-orange base, hairy with some faint black and white bands. The underside has a white line behind the epigynum and another down the middle of the sternum. The Spiders of the Eastern US says that the Metepeira labyrinthea can be distinguished from other orbweavers by having longer terminal leg segments "(tarsus plus metatarsus longer than tibia plus patella)".

total_length

Small, female total body length 4.0-8.6 mm, male total body length 3.0-6.8 mm

structural_features

silk_web

Orb web along massive tangle of lines, the labyrinth. Retreat is thimble shaped and covered in detritus.

fld_guide_descriptions

online_photos

prey

predators

Spider wasps prey on adults, parasitic wasps invade egg sacs.

behavior

5-6 cone shaped egg cases of the female are covered in brown paper like silk and are incorporated into the detritus above a tubular retreat in the tangle. After emerging from an egg case, the spiderlings may reside in the labyrinth and even feed on insects captured in the web.

distribution_reference

technical_reference

Spiders of North America - Bradley; Bugguide

adult_id

1 identifiable by photo 2 identifiable by photo of specific features and/or supplementary info 3 identifiable from specimen only

abundance

Frequent.

distribution_comments

Frequent and widespread throughout North Carolina and the southeastern and mid-Atlantic regions. Females spring through autumn, males spring and summer.

checklist_mt_high
>=4,000 ft.

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom	Frequency Regular – almost always observed on given visit; >=90% chance of observation Frequent – usually observed on a given visit; >=50%<90% chance of observation Infrequent – observed less than 50% of visits; >=25%<50% chance of observation Occasional – observed on only on a small minority of visits; >=10%<25% chance of observation Seldom – not usually seen on visits; <10% chance of observation These terms refer to visits to appropriate habitats made at appropriate times of the year, making use of common sampling/observation methods. Under those conditions, Frequency refers to the chance of observing at least one individual on a given visit made anywhere within a particular region, or over multiple visits to a single site.

checklist_mt_low
<4,000 ft.

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

checklist_pd
Piedmont

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

checklist_cp
Coastal Plain

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

habitat

shrubs in forest understory, open woodlands, forest edges, man made structures and rock walls.

observation_methods

Identified readily by web, adults can be teased out of retreat with a paintbrush.

state_protection

NHP_ranks

NHP_status

status_comments

Photo Gallery for Metepeira labyrinthea Labyrinth orbweaver
	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Macon Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Macon Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Macon Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George Chatham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment: Same specimen as one that I submitted earlier this morning that was photographed yesterday. I believe this one is female.
	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment: Same specimen as one that I submitted earlier this morning that was photographed yesterday. I believe this one is female.	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment: Same specimen as one that I submitted earlier this morning that was photographed yesterday. I believe this one is female.
	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment: Same specimen as one that I submitted earlier this morning that was photographed yesterday. I believe this one is female.	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment: A different specimen in the same location as the one just submitted immediately prior.
	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment: A different specimen in the same location as the one just submitted immediately prior.	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Ashe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Steven Acesta Forsyth Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Anson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Anson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Montgomery Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Greene Co. Comment: Mixed pine-hardwood forest above Contentnea Creek. Male.
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Greene Co. Comment: Mixed pine-hardwood forest above Contentnea Creek. Male.	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wilson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof Transylvania Co. Comment: GORG - Obs. FC. Access.	Recorded by: K. Bischof Transylvania Co. Comment: GORG - Obs. FC. Access.
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: in the clutches of Mecaphesa asperata on Common Milkweed	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George Durham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Donald ZEPP Johnston Co. Comment: In web between backyard bushes
	Recorded by: Donald ZEPP Johnston Co. Comment: In web between backyard bushes	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason Durham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Donald ZEPP Johnston Co. Comment: Beaten from Mahonia	Recorded by: Donald ZEPP Johnston Co. Comment: Beaten from Mahonia
	Recorded by: Owen McConnell Durham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Vin Stanton Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Vin Stanton Buncombe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Barbara McRae Macon Co. Comment: It was curled up, asleep and partly hidden, in corner of web, about 5:40 p.m.
	Recorded by: Barbara McRae Macon Co. Comment: It was curled up, asleep and partly hidden, in corner of web, about 5:40 p.m.	Recorded by: Donald Zepp Johnston Co. Comment: Adult female taken from characteristic web in bush, photographed & released.
	Recorded by: B. McRae Macon Co. Comment:	Recorded by: B. McRae Macon Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn, Kyle Kittelberger Wilkes Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Iredell Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Stanly Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Stanly Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Catawba Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: j.wyche Gates Co. Comment: MEMI - Cypress Point Trail in web with egg sac	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Wake Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Halifax Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Wake Co. Comment:	Recorded by: FKW Gates Co. Comment: MEMI

Photo Gallery for Metepeira labyrinthea Labyrinth orbweaver