This orb weaving spider grows to 1/4 of an inch long. It has green, translucent legs and an ovoid abdomen, which is colored green, brown and white. It has black lines on the ventral side of the front legs, lines on the back of the dorsal abdomen and a dark median line down the center of the carapace.
This spider is probably common in this area. The individual in image A was photographed in September 2017 in the restored butterfly garden in the Fontenelle Forest wetlands. The individual shown in image B was photographed in the same location in August 2017. The distribution range for this spider is from Colorado eastward into northeast Canada according to BugGuide data.
There are seven species in the genus Mangora, all occurring eastward from Colorado except for one species in Arizona. Some individuals of M. gibberosa have brown abdomens.
Disclaimer: The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Loren Padelford.