Four-spot Orbweaver Araneus quadratus

The four white spots on the abdomen are the dead giveaway — you can spot them from across a garden, standing out like tiny polka dots against brown, orange, or vibrant green backgrounds. These remarkably variable spiders shift through an entire rainbow of colors depending on season and individual variation, yet those four signature spots remain unchanged. Striped legs often accompany their colorful bodies.

The sexual dimorphism is dramatic: females can balloon to 17 millimeters when gravid, while males are roughly half that size. Their range is impressive too, stretching from Europe all the way across continental Asia to Japan and the frigid Kamchatka Peninsula, making them one of the most widespread orb-weavers.