Micrathena gracilis, sometimes called the Spined Micrathena, is a relatively common spider. They are infamous for building their webs directly across trails at eye level. The spider itself is so spiny that she looks like a bur or seed, not a spider. The web is extremely finely woven, with very tightly spaced sticky spiral threads. This is ideal for capturing small prey, maybe less effective at capturing unsuspecting humans. The spider is actually completely harmless. The spiny body probably protects this spider from predators. Hummingbirds often prey on spiders, but I’ve never seen one attack Micrathena. This species comes in an amazing variety of color forms.
