Pale Orb Weaver

Common name for a small spider, with the scientific designation Araneus mitificus and which is found in many countries of South, East, and Southeast Asia. This spider is mostly green with a globular abdomen, of which the back is covered with a pattern of pale (whitish) and darker (yellowish to brown or black) markings, that resemble the face of a man with a thick moustache, indeed somewhat like the Pringles logo. Its legs are green to brownish and are covered with black spines and fine hairs. As is often the case with spiders, the females are larger than males, growing up to around 0.6 to 0.9 centimeters, while the smaller males reach no more than 0.5 centimeter, and are generally less colourful than the females. The Pale Orb Weaver typically builds a web with a missing a section, and does not rest on the center of the web, but instead builds a shelter in a leaf at the side of the web, which it covers with a network of silk and from where it rushes out to capture any prey that gets entangled in the web, after being alarmed by the vibrations from its struggle. This species is similar to the Green Striped Orb Weaver (Araneus pentagrammicus). 回