Tropical Tent-web Spider Cyrtophora citricola

Most orb-weavers are habitat specialists, but this tent-web spider thrives in wildly different environments, from humid tropical forests to cultivated fields—an unusual trait for the family. Its flexibility has proven problematic in the Americas: wherever it's established populations, it has caused extensive agricultural damage to crops. Originally from Asia and Africa, it's colonized everything from Florida to South America, spreading through cargo shipments and hitchhiking on imported plants. This remarkable adaptability, while impressive from a biological standpoint, has made it an unwanted invasive species in some regions.