Natural History Notes
by Bob Thomas

The Orchard Spider, Leucage venusta, is a small (1/3") spider of the Family Tetragnathidae that is common in our forests. It is a spectacularly patterned and colored spider, being green with a splotch of florescent red-orange on the bottom of the abdomen, and silver and yellow stripes down the sides. Orchard Spiders construct their webs within a few feet of the ground in places where it receives spotty sunlight. The spider constructs its orb web at about a 45, then hangs upside down in the middle.