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14 August 2022

Spiny-backed Orb Weaver - Jizan

Whilst in Jizan I came across a very interesting small spider. It appears to be some sort of Gastercantha spp or Micrathena spp of Spiny-backed Orb Weaver Spider also known as Crab Spiders. Orb-weaver spiders are known for their spiral wheel-shaped webs, which each night, a new web spun to catch small insect prey. The spider sits up-side-down on the web. There are more than 2,800 species within more than 160 genera worldwide, orb-weavers are the third largest family of spiders and difficult for the layman to identify. This spider was particularly striking due to its colours of Yellow and Black. I have now seen this spider the last two times I have been to this location so assume it is not uncommon.