Orange hairy Spider with a Skull on his Back.

[Boazz1]

Hello everyone,

I saw this spider while at work and was hoping someone could tell me a little about it.
Its about the size of a U.S. Quarter ( 25 cent ).
Locations is Houston, Texas.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Ungoliant]

This is a female Eriophora ravilla, a member of the orbweaver family (Araneidae). There is no official common name, but some people call it the "tropical orbweaver." The skull-like white marking on your specimen has also given rise to the name "death's head spider."

Coloration is highly variable in this species. Not all of them have skulls (but the ones that do are female). See BugGuide for some examples.

These nocturnal spiders spin wide orb webs. (During the day, they hide near the edge of the web, often in rolled up leaves.)

These spiders are not aggressive or dangerously venomous, in case that was a concern.

[acbaker]

Ungoliant, you amaze me with your ability to call an ID and your familiarity with particulars. I tip my hat!

ACB

[Ungoliant]

Ungoliant, you amaze me with your ability to call an ID and your familiarity with particulars. I tip my hat!

Thanks, but the Internet deserves most of the credit. I have a whole world of information at my fingertips! :-)