Arrowshaped micrathena (Micrathena sagittata)

The arrowshaped micrathena is a spider in the family Araneidae that is not dangerous to people. GBIF holds 836 licensed U.S. records of it; it reaches our listing threshold in 28 states, most of all Virginia (108), Florida (78) and Pennsylvania (71). Its observation records peak in August.

28states on record

836licensed U.S. records

Augpeak month, observations

Novenomous to people

Micrathena sagittata, also known as the arrow-shaped micrathena, is a species of spider belonging to the family Araneidae. It is found in the eastern United States and throughout Central America. This is a striking spider with a distinctive arrow-shaped abdomen which is largely yellow, with black depressions above and variable red and black patterning below.

From Wikipedia: Micrathena sagittata, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Bitten? Call 911 for a venomous snakebite or any bite with trouble breathing. For advice on any bite or sting, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (free, 24/7, U.S.-wide). Do not cut the wound, suck out venom or use a tourniquet. General information, not medical advice. Do not handle or try to identify a snake or spider by this page; if unsure, treat it as venomous.

Is the arrowshaped micrathena poisonous or venomous?

Not in any medically significant way. Like almost all spiders the arrowshaped micrathena (family Araneidae) has venom for its prey, but it is not a widow or recluse, the two U.S. groups whose bites need medical attention.

Which states have the arrowshaped micrathena?

Records are spread over 28 states; the top three, Virginia, Florida and Pennsylvania, hold 31% of them.

Source: GBIF, read 2026-09-29. A state is listed once GBIF holds at least 10 records of the species there under any license; Records counts only CC0 and CC BY records, so a listed state can show fewer.
#	State	Records	Share of state spiders	Rank in state
1	Virginia	108	0.9%	28th of 176
2	Florida	78	0.6%	22nd of 237
3	Pennsylvania	71	1.0%	21st of 164
4	North Carolina	66	0.8%	31st of 184
5	Georgia	64	1.0%	24th of 186
6	Alabama	50	1.4%	14th of 143
7	Maryland	45	0.8%	37th of 153
8	Kentucky	41	2.2%	10th of 103
9	Tennessee	39	1.0%	24th of 138
10	Texas	35	0.1%	122nd of 386
11	Massachusetts	25	0.5%	41st of 189
12	Delaware	23	1.1%	23rd of 71
13	Illinois	21	0.1%	125th of 243
14	Missouri	21	0.9%	23rd of 117
15	Ohio	21	0.3%	67th of 332
16	Louisiana	20	0.5%	39th of 107
17	Maine	19	2.0%	14th of 297
18	Indiana	18	0.4%	47th of 133
19	New York	17	0.3%	66th of 149
20	South Carolina	11	0.5%	45th of 121
21	New Hampshire	9	0.7%	36th of 72
22	New Jersey	8	0.4%	59th of 127
23	Mississippi	5	0.4%	52nd of 117
24	Arkansas	4	0.2%	75th of 114
25	Connecticut	4	0.4%	42nd of 86
26	Wisconsin	3	0.1%	114th of 149
27	Michigan	2	0.1%	85th of 122
28	West Virginia	2	0.3%	48th of 90

When is the arrowshaped micrathena seen?

Across the U.S., observation records of the arrowshaped micrathena run mostly May through September, peaking in August with 33% of them. Almost none are from December to February.

Season by state

Among states whose main season falls within one calendar year, it starts earliest in March (Florida) and latest in July (Pennsylvania). The most common peak month is August, shared by Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Source: GBIF observation records (CC0, CC BY) by state and month, read 2026-09-29. States with fewer than 30 observation records with a month are left out.
State	Main season	Peak month	Observation records
Virginia	June through September	August	108
Florida	March through October	May	71
North Carolina	June through October	August	66
Georgia	June through October	August	64
Pennsylvania	July through September	August	61
Alabama	May through September	August	50
Maryland	June through September	August	45
Kentucky	June through September	August	41
Tennessee	June through September	July	39
Texas	May through November	November	35

Where the arrowshaped micrathena is recorded in each state

Virginia

Virginia holds 108 licensed records, the 28th most recorded of 176 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Virginia run mostly June through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Fairfax County, Goochland County and Prince William County. Next come Fauquier County (6) and Hanover County (6).

Florida

Florida holds 78 licensed records, the joint 22nd most recorded of 237 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Florida run mostly March through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Alachua County, Broward County and Wakulla County. Next come Putnam County (5) and Citrus County (5).

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania holds 71 licensed records, the 21st most recorded of 164 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Pennsylvania run mostly July through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Centre County, Westmoreland County and Blair County. Next come Allegheny County (6) and Armstrong County (3).

North Carolina

North Carolina holds 66 licensed records, the 31st most recorded of 184 spiders listed there. Its observation records in North Carolina run mostly June through October, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Orange County, Currituck County and Cumberland County. Next come Chatham County (7) and Dare County (4).

Georgia

Georgia holds 64 licensed records, the joint 24th most recorded of 186 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Georgia run mostly June through October, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Clarke County, Greene County and Oconee County. Next come Gwinnett County (4) and Stephens County (3).

Alabama

Alabama holds 50 licensed records, the 14th most recorded of 143 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Alabama run mostly May through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Blount County, Cullman County and Jefferson County. Next come Colbert County (3) and Tuscaloosa County (3).

Maryland

Maryland holds 45 licensed records, the 37th most recorded of 153 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Maryland run mostly June through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County and Montgomery County. Next come Garrett County (3) and Baltimore County (3).

Kentucky

Kentucky holds 41 licensed records, the 10th most recorded of 103 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Kentucky run mostly June through September, peaking in August; most licensed records come from Madison County, Jefferson County and Edmonson County. Next come Estill County (2) and Kenton County (2).

Tennessee

Tennessee holds 39 licensed records, the 24th most recorded of 138 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Tennessee run mostly June through September, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Cheatham County, Knox County and Montgomery County. Next come Wilson County (3) and Davidson County (2).

Texas

Texas holds 35 licensed records, the joint 122nd most recorded of 386 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Texas run mostly May through November, peaking in November; most licensed records come from Cameron County, Hidalgo County and Jasper County. Next come San Jacinto County (2) and Tyler County (2).

Top counties in the U.S.

Source: GBIF licensed records by county (GADM level 2), read 2026-09-29.
#	County	State	Records	Share of U.S.
1	Madison County	Kentucky	25	3.0%
2	Fairfax County	Virginia	20	2.4%
3	Blount County	Alabama	19	2.3%
4	Prince George's County	Maryland	19	2.3%
5	Centre County	Pennsylvania	19	2.3%
6	Alachua County	Florida	18	2.2%
7	Clarke County	Georgia	18	2.2%
8	Cameron County	Texas	17	2.0%
9	Goochland County	Virginia	17	2.0%
10	Broward County	Florida	15	1.8%
11	Orange County	North Carolina	12	1.4%
12	Prince William County	Virginia	12	1.4%
13	Cullman County	Alabama	10	1.2%
14	Currituck County	North Carolina	10	1.2%
15	Westmoreland County	Pennsylvania	9	1.1%

How recent are the arrowshaped micrathena records?

Most of what is known about the arrowshaped micrathena is recent: 92% of dated U.S. records were made in 2017–2026, and half date from 2022 or later. The oldest dated record is from 1910; the busiest year was 2022, with 114 records.

Source: GBIF licensed U.S. records with a year, read 2026-09-29.
Decade	Records	Share
1910s	1	0.1%
1930s	2	0.2%
1940s	2	0.2%
1950s	1	0.1%
1960s	4	0.5%
1970s	2	0.2%
1980s	8	0.9%
1990s	2	0.2%
2000s	7	0.8%
2010s	151	17.9%
2020s	665	78.7%

Species recorded in the same counties

Of the 133 counties where the arrowshaped micrathena is most recorded, 77 are also top counties for the arrowhead orbweaver, more than for any other spider. None of its closest neighbors is venomous.

Source: GBIF licensed records, top counties per species and state, read 2026-09-29.
Species	Shared counties
Arrowhead orbweaver	77
Familiar jumping spider	65
Nursery web spider	65
Spined micrathena	65
Black-and-yellow argiope	62
Spotted orbweaver	62
Orchard orbweaver	61
Sylvan jumping spider	60

Other species of the genus Micrathena with profiles here: Spined micrathena.

Black-and-yellow argiopeArgiope aurantia

Spotted orbweaverNeoscona crucifera

Spiny-backed orbweaverGasteracantha cancriformis

Garden spiderAraneus diadematus

American golden orb weaverTrichonephila clavipes

Spined micrathenaMicrathena gracilis

Banded garden spiderArgiope trifasciata

Arabesque orbweaverNeoscona arabesca

GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.

About these numbers

A species is listed for a state once GBIF holds at least 10 records of it located inside the state by coordinates, under any license. Every count, share, month and county shown is computed only from records published under CC0 or CC BY, so a listed species can show few or no counted records. Monthly patterns show when people record spiders, which also reflects when people are outdoors. Venomous status follows taxonomy: pit vipers and coral snakes; widow and recluse spiders; the Arizona bark scorpion. Records filed under older names count for the species they belong to today. Full methodology.