Cone-shaped orbweaver (Cyclosa conica)

The cone-shaped orbweaver is a spider in the family Araneidae that is not dangerous to people. GBIF holds 530 licensed U.S. records of it; it reaches our listing threshold in 32 states, most of all California (101), Alaska (68) and Ohio (56). Its observation records peak in April.

32states on record

530licensed U.S. records

Aprpeak month, observations

Novenomous to people

Cyclosa conica is a small spider with no common name. It is an orb weaver, and it is easily recognized by the way it strings together the dead bodies of insects and other debris and hangs it near the center of its web. It hides on this string of debris, and its natural coloration makes it extremely difficult to see until it moves.

From Wikipedia: Cyclosa conica, 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 cone-shaped orbweaver poisonous or venomous?

Not in any medically significant way. Like almost all spiders the cone-shaped orbweaver (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 cone-shaped orbweaver?

Records are spread over 32 states; the top three, California, Alaska and Ohio, hold 42% 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	California	101	0.2%	59th of 309
2	Alaska	68	0.3%	70th of 280
3	Ohio	56	0.8%	31st of 332
4	Maryland	33	0.6%	45th of 153
5	Oregon	27	1.0%	19th of 88
6	New York	23	0.4%	52nd of 149
7	Washington	22	0.6%	36th of 157
8	Massachusetts	18	0.4%	51st of 189
9	North Carolina	16	0.2%	76th of 184
10	Minnesota	15	0.5%	44th of 145
11	Montana	15	0.7%	14th of 75
12	New Hampshire	13	0.9%	28th of 72
13	Virginia	13	0.1%	103rd of 176
14	Wisconsin	12	0.4%	61st of 149
15	Michigan	11	0.5%	39th of 122
16	Maine	10	1.1%	25th of 297
17	Utah	10	0.4%	27th of 97
18	Kentucky	9	0.5%	48th of 103
19	Pennsylvania	8	0.1%	99th of 164
20	Colorado	5	0.1%	75th of 378
21	Illinois	5	0.0%	224th of 243
22	Indiana	5	0.1%	114th of 133
23	New Jersey	5	0.2%	80th of 127
24	Iowa	4	0.6%	28th of 57
25	Connecticut	3	0.3%	49th of 86
26	Missouri	3	0.1%	76th of 117
27	Vermont	3	0.2%	46th of 74
28	Georgia	2	0.0%	152nd of 186
29	West Virginia	2	0.3%	48th of 90
30	Idaho	1	0.2%	35th of 56
31	Rhode Island	1	0.6%	29th of 53
32	Wyoming	1	0.5%	20th of 68

When is the cone-shaped orbweaver seen?

Across the U.S., observation records of the cone-shaped orbweaver run mostly March through October, peaking in April with 21% of them. Winter (December to February) holds 4% of them.

Season by state

Among states whose main season falls within one calendar year, it starts earliest in March (Maryland) and latest in April (Ohio). The most common peak month is April, shared by California, Maryland and Ohio.

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
California	October through June	April	92
Ohio	April through October	April	56
Maryland	March through September	April	33

Where the cone-shaped orbweaver is recorded in each state

California

California holds 101 licensed records, the 59th most recorded of 309 spiders listed there. Its observation records in California run mostly October through June, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Contra Costa County, Marin County and Sonoma County. Next come Alameda County (7) and Los Angeles County (6).

Alaska

Alaska holds 68 licensed records, the joint 70th most recorded of 280 spiders listed there. Most of its licensed records in Alaska come from Kenai Peninsula Borough, Fairbanks North Star Borough and Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area. Next come Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area (4) and Anchorage Municipality (4).

Ohio

Ohio holds 56 licensed records, the joint 31st most recorded of 332 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Ohio run mostly April through October, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Franklin County, Mahoning County and Richland County. Next come Summit County (7) and Delaware County (3).

Maryland

Maryland holds 33 licensed records, the joint 45th most recorded of 153 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Maryland run mostly March through September, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Frederick County, Harford County and Montgomery County. Next come Howard County (3) and Prince George's 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	Kenai Peninsula Borough	Alaska	35	6.6%
2	Franklin County	Ohio	25	4.7%
3	Contra Costa County	California	19	3.6%
4	Frederick County	Maryland	11	2.1%
5	Fairbanks North Star Borough	Alaska	10	1.9%
6	Marin County	California	10	1.9%
7	Sonoma County	California	9	1.7%
8	Mahoning County	Ohio	8	1.5%
9	Richland County	Ohio	8	1.5%
10	Alameda County	California	7	1.3%
11	Summit County	Ohio	7	1.3%
12	Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area	Alaska	6	1.1%
13	Los Angeles County	California	6	1.1%
14	San Mateo County	California	6	1.1%
15	Harford County	Maryland	6	1.1%

How recent are the cone-shaped orbweaver records?

Most of what is known about the cone-shaped orbweaver is recent: 79% of dated U.S. records were made in 2017–2026, and half date from 2023 or later. The oldest dated record is from 1941; the busiest year was 2025, with 100 records.

Source: GBIF licensed U.S. records with a year, read 2026-09-29.
Decade	Records	Share
1940s	1	0.2%
1960s	1	0.2%
1970s	4	0.7%
1980s	3	0.6%
1990s	2	0.4%
2000s	33	6.1%
2010s	112	20.7%
2020s	385	71.2%

Species recorded in the same counties

Of the 44 counties where the cone-shaped orbweaver is most recorded, 22 are also top counties for each of the first three spiders in the table below; no other spider shares more. None of its closest neighbors is venomous.

Source: GBIF licensed records, top counties per species and state, read 2026-09-29.
Species	Shared counties
Black-and-yellow argiope	22
Sixspotted orbweaver	22
Spotted orbweaver	22
Bowl and doily spider	20
Marbled orbweaver	20
Arabesque orbweaver	19
Bold jumper	19
Triangulate bud spider	19

Other members of the family Araneidae with profiles here: Black-and-yellow argiope, Spotted orbweaver, Spiny-backed orbweaver, Garden spider, American golden orb weaver and 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.