Orchard orbweaver (Leucauge venusta)
The orchard orbweaver is a spider in the family Tetragnathidae that is not dangerous to people. GBIF holds 4,638 licensed U.S. records of it; it reaches our listing threshold in 36 states, most of all Virginia (716), Ohio (484) and Pennsylvania (429). Its observation records peak in June.
Leucauge venusta, known as the orchard orbweaver spider, is a long-jawed orbweaver spider that occurs from southern Canada to Colombia, along the East coast, reaching into the central US, also in South Asia. The web is often oriented horizontally, with the spider hanging down in the center. It is distinctively colored, with leaf-green legs and sides (which can sometimes vary to a dark green or even orange).
From Wikipedia: Leucauge venusta, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is the orchard orbweaver poisonous or venomous?
Not in any medically significant way. Like almost all spiders the orchard orbweaver (family Tetragnathidae) 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 orchard orbweaver?
Records are spread over 36 states; the top three, Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania, hold 35% of them. It is the most recorded spider of all in Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Tennessee, New Jersey, Connecticut and West Virginia.
| # | State | Records | Share of state spiders | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | 716 | 6.2% | 1st of 176 |
| 2 | Ohio | 484 | 7.0% | 1st of 332 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | 429 | 5.8% | 1st of 164 |
| 4 | Maryland | 384 | 6.8% | 1st of 153 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 300 | 3.6% | 3rd of 184 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 297 | 6.4% | 1st of 189 |
| 7 | New York | 297 | 4.8% | 3rd of 149 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 181 | 4.8% | 1st of 138 |
| 9 | Indiana | 174 | 3.9% | 3rd of 133 |
| 10 | Georgia | 152 | 2.3% | 7th of 186 |
| 11 | New Jersey | 150 | 6.6% | 1st of 127 |
| 12 | Texas | 123 | 0.4% | 49th of 386 |
| 13 | Alabama | 113 | 3.1% | 6th of 143 |
| 14 | Illinois | 109 | 0.6% | 27th of 243 |
| 15 | Michigan | 91 | 3.8% | 4th of 122 |
| 16 | Connecticut | 84 | 8.4% | 1st of 86 |
| 17 | Kentucky | 81 | 4.3% | 3rd of 103 |
| 18 | Missouri | 71 | 3.0% | 6th of 117 |
| 19 | Delaware | 59 | 2.8% | 7th of 71 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 59 | 7.8% | 1st of 90 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 45 | 1.9% | 11th of 121 |
| 22 | Arkansas | 35 | 2.1% | 9th of 114 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 28 | 0.9% | 24th of 149 |
| 24 | Louisiana | 25 | 0.6% | 33rd of 107 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | 25 | 0.5% | 41st of 149 |
| 26 | California | 20 | 0.0% | 170th of 309 |
| 27 | Mississippi | 20 | 1.4% | 14th of 117 |
| 28 | Kansas | 18 | 1.1% | 17th of 94 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | 18 | 1.3% | 22nd of 72 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | 11 | 6.4% | 2nd of 53 |
| 31 | Florida | 10 | 0.1% | 141st of 237 |
| 32 | Vermont | 8 | 0.5% | 33rd of 74 |
| 33 | Iowa | 6 | 0.9% | 18th of 57 |
| 34 | Maine | 5 | 0.5% | 37th of 297 |
| 35 | Nebraska | 5 | 0.4% | 47th of 71 |
| 36 | Minnesota | 3 | 0.1% | 102nd of 145 |
When is the orchard orbweaver seen?
Across the U.S., observation records of the orchard orbweaver run mostly April through September, peaking in June with 30% 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 (Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas) and latest in May (Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan and New York). The most common peak month is June, shared by Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan and 5 more.
| State | Main season | Peak month | Observation records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | April through September | May | 708 |
| Ohio | April through August | June | 480 |
| Pennsylvania | April through August | June | 422 |
| Maryland | April through August | June | 375 |
| New York | May through September | June | 292 |
| Massachusetts | April through October | June | 277 |
| North Carolina | April through August | May | 277 |
| Tennessee | April through August | May | 175 |
| Indiana | April through August | June | 169 |
| Georgia | March through September | May | 150 |
| New Jersey | April through September | June | 150 |
| Texas | March through July | April | 122 |
| Alabama | March through August | April | 110 |
| Illinois | April through August | May | 98 |
| Michigan | May through August | June | 89 |
| Connecticut | May through August | June | 84 |
| Kentucky | April through August | May | 78 |
| Missouri | April through August | May | 67 |
| Delaware | May through October | June | 59 |
| West Virginia | April through July | June | 56 |
| South Carolina | March through August | April | 43 |
Where the orchard orbweaver is recorded in each state
Virginia
Virginia holds 716 licensed records, the most recorded of 176 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Virginia run mostly April through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Fairfax County, Arlington County and Richmond. Next come Prince William County (35) and Loudoun County (25).
Ohio
Ohio holds 484 licensed records, the most recorded of 332 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Ohio run mostly April through August, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Franklin County, Mahoning County and Cuyahoga County. Next come Summit County (33) and Delaware County (29).
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania holds 429 licensed records, the most recorded of 164 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Pennsylvania run mostly April through August, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Philadelphia County, Allegheny County and Montgomery County. Next come Bucks County (29) and Westmoreland County (24).
Maryland
Maryland holds 384 licensed records, the most recorded of 153 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Maryland run mostly April through August, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Montgomery County, Prince George's County and Frederick County. Next come Anne Arundel County (48) and Howard County (35).
North Carolina
North Carolina holds 300 licensed records, the 3rd most recorded of 184 spiders listed there. Its observation records in North Carolina run mostly April through August, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Wake County, Orange County and Durham County. Next come Mecklenburg County (18) and Buncombe County (12).
Massachusetts
Massachusetts holds 297 licensed records, the most recorded of 189 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Massachusetts run mostly April through October, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Plymouth County, Middlesex County and Barnstable County. Next come Dukes County (39) and Worcester County (35).
New York
New York holds 297 licensed records, the 3rd most recorded of 149 spiders listed there. Its observation records in New York run mostly May through September, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Tompkins County, Westchester County and New York County. Next come Rockland County (24) and Kings County (22).
Tennessee
Tennessee holds 181 licensed records, the most recorded of 138 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Tennessee run mostly April through August, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Shelby County, Knox County and Sevier County. Next come Bradley County (17) and Montgomery County (11).
Indiana
Indiana holds 174 licensed records, the 3rd most recorded of 133 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Indiana run mostly April through August, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Allen County, Monroe County and Marion County. Next come Orange County (12) and Morgan County (7).
Georgia
Georgia holds 152 licensed records, the 7th most recorded of 186 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Georgia run mostly March through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from DeKalb County, Clarke County and Cobb County. Next come Fulton County (13) and Gwinnett County (8).
New Jersey
New Jersey holds 150 licensed records, the most recorded of 127 spiders listed there. Its observation records in New Jersey run mostly April through September, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Burlington County, Middlesex County and Atlantic County. Next come Morris County (13) and Essex County (8).
Texas
Texas holds 123 licensed records, the 49th most recorded of 386 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Texas run mostly March through July, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Dallas County, Travis County and Tarrant County. Next come Denton County (7) and Jasper County (5).
Alabama
Alabama holds 113 licensed records, the 6th most recorded of 143 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Alabama run mostly March through August, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Tuscaloosa County, Jefferson County and Blount County. Next come Madison County (8) and DeKalb County (7).
Illinois
Illinois holds 109 licensed records, the 27th most recorded of 243 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Illinois run mostly April through August, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Champaign County, Cook County and Union County. Next come McLean County (7) and Will County (4).
Michigan
Michigan holds 91 licensed records, the 4th most recorded of 122 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Michigan run mostly May through August, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Washtenaw County, Kalamazoo County and Oakland County. Next come Ingham County (9) and Berrien County (6).
Connecticut
Connecticut holds 84 licensed records, the most recorded of 86 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Connecticut run mostly May through August, peaking in June; most licensed records come from New Haven County, Hartford County and New London County. Next come Fairfield County (5) and Tolland County (5).
Kentucky
Kentucky holds 81 licensed records, the 3rd most recorded of 103 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Kentucky run mostly April through August, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Madison County, Jefferson County and Fayette County. Next come Campbell County (5) and Rockcastle County (4).
Missouri
Missouri holds 71 licensed records, the 6th most recorded of 117 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Missouri run mostly April through August, peaking in May; most licensed records come from St. Louis County, Platte County and Shannon County. Next come Texas County (5) and Callaway County (3).
Delaware
Delaware holds 59 licensed records, the 7th most recorded of 71 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Delaware run mostly May through October, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Sussex County, Kent County and New Castle County.
West Virginia
West Virginia holds 59 licensed records, the most recorded of 90 spiders listed there. Its observation records in West Virginia run mostly April through July, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Hampshire County, Gilmer County and Monongalia County. Next come Berkeley County (3) and Fayette County (2).
South Carolina
South Carolina holds 45 licensed records, the 11th most recorded of 121 spiders listed there. Its observation records in South Carolina run mostly March through August, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Lexington County, Greenville County and Spartanburg County. Next come Abbeville County (6) and Chesterfield County (3).
Arkansas
Arkansas holds 35 licensed records, the joint 9th most recorded of 114 spiders listed there. Most of its licensed records in Arkansas come from Craighead County, Clay County and Johnson County. Next come Perry County (3) and Greene County (2).
Top counties in the U.S.
| # | County | State | Records | Share of U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairfax County | Virginia | 292 | 6.3% |
| 2 | Franklin County | Ohio | 112 | 2.4% |
| 3 | Montgomery County | Maryland | 94 | 2.0% |
| 4 | Philadelphia County | Pennsylvania | 82 | 1.8% |
| 5 | Allegheny County | Pennsylvania | 72 | 1.6% |
| 6 | Plymouth County | Massachusetts | 65 | 1.4% |
| 7 | Arlington County | Virginia | 65 | 1.4% |
| 8 | Middlesex County | Massachusetts | 63 | 1.4% |
| 9 | Prince George's County | Maryland | 56 | 1.2% |
| 10 | Montgomery County | Pennsylvania | 56 | 1.2% |
| 11 | Wake County | North Carolina | 54 | 1.2% |
| 12 | Orange County | North Carolina | 53 | 1.1% |
| 13 | DeKalb County | Georgia | 49 | 1.1% |
| 14 | Frederick County | Maryland | 49 | 1.1% |
| 15 | Anne Arundel County | Maryland | 48 | 1.0% |
How recent are the orchard orbweaver records?
Most of what is known about the orchard orbweaver is recent: 94% of dated U.S. records were made in 2017–2026, and half date from 2023 or later. The oldest dated record is from 1897; the busiest year was 2024, with 738 records.
| Decade | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 4 | 0.1% |
| 1920s | 2 | 0.0% |
| 1930s | 2 | 0.0% |
| 1940s | 3 | 0.1% |
| 1950s | 1 | 0.0% |
| 1960s | 2 | 0.0% |
| 1970s | 3 | 0.1% |
| 1980s | 8 | 0.2% |
| 1990s | 4 | 0.1% |
| 2000s | 27 | 0.6% |
| 2010s | 795 | 16.6% |
| 2020s | 3,931 | 82.2% |
Species recorded in the same counties
Of the 310 counties where the orchard orbweaver is most recorded, 194 are also top counties for the nursery web spider, more than for any other spider. None of its closest neighbors is venomous.
| Species | Shared counties |
|---|---|
| Nursery web spider | 194 |
| Familiar jumping spider | 188 |
| Spotted orbweaver | 185 |
| Spined micrathena | 184 |
| Black-and-yellow argiope | 179 |
| Bold jumper | 178 |
| Dark fishing spider | 166 |
| Paraphidippus aurantius | 137 |
Related species in the U.S.
Other species of the genus Leucauge with profiles here: Greater leucauge.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.