Larinioides sclopetarius

Larinioides sclopetarius, commonly called bridge spider or gray cross spider, is a relatively large orb-weaver spider with holarctic distribution that is often found on bridges, especially near light and over water.[1] The species tends to live on steel objects and is seldom seen on vegetation.[2]

Larinioides sclopetarius
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Araneidae
Genus: Larinioides
Species:
L. sclopetarius
Binomial name
Larinioides sclopetarius
Synonyms

Araneus sclopetarius
Araneus sericatus
Aranea undata
Aranea oviger
Epeira sericata
Epeira virgata
Epeira frondosa
Epeira sclopetaria
Epeira umbratica
Epeira hygrophila
Aranea sericata
Epeira undata
Cyphepeira sclopetaria
Aranea sclopetaria
Nuctenea sclopetaria

Females reach body length of 10–14mm, males 8–9mm.[1] Their orb webs can have diameters of up to 70 cm.

They often hide during the day, and wait for prey in the center of their web at night. Males can be found mostly during summer, females are active until November in Central Europe.

References
  1. Roberts, Michael J. (1996) Collins Field Guide: Spiders of Britain and Northern Europe, Collins, ISBN 978-0-00-219981-0, pp. 321–2
  2. Nieuwenhuys, Ed (17 November 2013). "Orb web spiders or orb-weavers". Retrieved 3 September 2014.
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