The spiny orb-weaver is the small, crab-shaped spider — usually white or yellow with red spines around the edge of its shell — that strings orb webs across walkways, shrubs, and screen enclosures throughout Southwest Florida. Its web often carries tufts of silk along the anchor lines that make it easier to see and avoid.
Spiny orb-weavers are harmless and actually beneficial, feeding on mosquitoes, flies, and other flying insects. They are a nuisance mainly because their webs are rebuilt overnight across doorways and paths. Knocking down webs and reducing the flying insects that feed them keeps them from re-establishing in high-traffic spots.