Cat Face Spiders
In light of one of our recent videos on spiders, we felt the need to spotlight a spider that is one of the more unusual that people encounter late in the season in North America and, therefore, the Boise/Nampa area. So we are proud to introduce the Cat-Face Spider, or the Jewel Spider (Araneus Gemmoides). The Cat Face Spider is an Orb Weaver Spider, as their intricate webs suggest (see picture below). The Cat Face Spider tends to make its webs near lights and in corners along the outside of buildings. Full-grown females can be quite large and have a combination of odd “cat ear” projections on the abdomen and dark indentation markings that some say resemble the ears and eyes of a cat. Despite their large size and bizarre appearance, cat-faced spiders are not venomous. It has been our experience that homes and structures close to the Snake or Boise River have more issues with these feline-faced spiders.
Like most other spiders, regular pest control treatments and exclusion methods are important to keeping the Cat Face Spider off and out of your home.
