Unusual Spider

Grayling, Alaska, United States

Nearby

An unusual spider is identified as Araneus trifolium or the Shamrock Orbweaver. This species can be found in much of Northern North America.

Observation by Bernice Nicholi

Never seen spider before.

LEO Says

Based on the image and its location in Grayling, Alaska, the spider is most likely a Shamrock Orbweaver (Araneus trifolium). These spiders are beige or brown in color, but its abdomen can also appear greenish, yellow, or orange—like the one Bernice observed. It can be identified by several distinctive white spots on its back. Its legs are typically brown or beige with white bands at the joints. While the bite of a Shamrock Orbweaver can be painful, it is not otherwise dangerous to humans. The effects are similar to those of a bee sting.

Derek Sikes from the University of Alaska Museum did confirm the ID and provided an interesting link in the sidebar. Check out the network; GBIF—"the Global Biodiversity Information Facility—is an international network and data infrastructure funded by the world's governments and aimed at providing anyone, anywhere, open access to data about all types of life on Earth." Most of the reported sightings on GBIF are in South Central Alaska. One other shamrock orbweaver has been reported in the YK Delta along the Kuskukwim River.

Consult by Derek Sikes

One of our native orb weavers. It looks likes Araneus trifolium which is known from much of northern North America.

AI Comment from GPT 4.1:

The current observation adds to a series of reports across Alaska in which local residents encountered unfamiliar or unusually large spiders. For example, in Shishmaref, a marbled orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus)—a relative of the Shamrock Orbweaver—was identified following surprise at its size and coloration. Posts from Anchorage, Wales, and Chignik Lagoon also describe sightings of spiders that were new or unexpected to the observers, with identification often provided by entomologists or extension experts. In Teller, a wolf spider was recognized as widespread in arctic regions but frequently overlooked. These related posts illustrate that a diversity of spider species—including orbweavers—are present across Alaska. The current sighting of a Shamrock Orbweaver in Grayling is the first of its kind documented in the LEO Network and expands the known pattern of orbweaver encounters in the region.