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Micrathena Spiders

Spiders in the genus Micrathena
Family: 
Araneidae (orb weavers) in the order Araneae (spiders)
Description: 

There are three species of micrathena spiders in our state. All are “orb weavers” (they spin intricate, circular webs), and all have some combination of pointy, conical tubercles on their bodies. Because males are small and rarely seen, the following descriptions refer to females, which are commonly seen resting in their webs. In all, the legs are glossy black.

M. gracilis, the spiny-bellied orb weaver, or spined micrathena, has 5 pairs of black tubercles and a white and black (or yellowish and brown-black) mottled abdomen.

M. mitrata, the white micrathena, has 2 short pairs of tubercles and a white abdomen with a few distinct black blotches on the upper side.

M. sagittata, the arrow-shaped micrathena, has striking reddish, black and yellow colors and has 3 pairs of tubercles, with the pair at the back end of the abdomen being rather large, forming two corners of the triangular (“arrow-shaped”) body.

Size: 
Length: to about ½ inch (excluding legs).
Habitat and conservation: 
Most micrathenas are found in woodland areas. M. gracilis, for example, is found most commonly in central and southern Missouri, where timber is more extensive. Micrathenas can be found in many habitats, including around homes and gardens. They rarely enter houses.
Foods: 
Like many spiders, micrathenas capture insects in the sticky strands of their webs, then deliver a bite of venom sufficient to subdue and to begin digesting the interior of the insect. Then they wait, returning to the prey to ingest its liquified contents. The close spacing of the circles in micrathena webs enables them to specialize in tiny flying insects such as mosquitoes. Micrathenas are ferocious predators to small insects, but they are completely harmless to humans.
Distribution in Missouri: 
Statewide.
Status: 
Common.
Life cycle: 
Like many spiders, micrathenas live for only a year. They hatch from egg cases in spring, disperse, and undergo molts as they grow. Females are about twice as big as males and are the ones most of us see, for they are the ones that spin conspicuous webs. Males visit females in their webs, and courtship often proves fatal to them; their bodies serve as nourishment for their mate and offspring. Females spend the season eating insects and creating egg cases, then die on the onset of cold weather.
Human connections: 
Spiders are unfairly feared and hated by many humans, and we would do well to try to conquer our unreasonable phobias. Spiders may be “creepy,” but they do us a tremendous service in natural, nontoxic pest control. We can choose to view micrathenas as terrifying, or as tiny, ornate exterminators.
Ecosystem connections: 
Micrathenas and other spiders help control populations of insects, particularly flying insects, many of which are obnoxious to hikers. Additionally, many birds steal trapped insects from spider webs to eat for themselves. Hummingbirds harvest spider webbing to use in building their own nests.

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