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Larinioides sclopetarius, commonly called bridge-spider or gray cross-spider, is a relatively large orb-weaver spider with Holarctic distribution. These spiders originated in Europe, have been observed as south as the Mediterranean Coast and as north as Finland, and have been introduced to North America. They are often found on bridges, especially near light and over water. The species tends to live on steel objects and is seldom seen on vegetation. Females reach a body length of 10–14 mm, and males 8–9 mm. Their orb webs can have diameters of up to 70 cm.
L. sclopetarius is attracted to light. Spiders found near light sources may be in better condition and have greater reproductive success than spiders living in unlit areas.[5] Most of these lighted areas are found in cities or other metropolitan areas. As a result, many urban areas have become saturated with these spiders. As many as 100 of these spiders can be found in a square meter in optimal feeding locations.
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L. sclopetarius often hide during the day, and wait for prey in the center of their web at night. In high-density populations, spiders may remain sedentary to protect their territories. Mature females and juvenile spiders will often build webs. However, adult males generally inhabit adult female webs. Males can be found mostly during summer, while females are active until November in Central Europe.
The common name "bridge-spider" is attributed to its preferential habitat of building webs on bridges.
Lariniodes sclopetarius was first recorded by Carl Clerck in 1757. The genus Lariniodes indicates that they create large noticeable orb webs.
There has been some dispute in how the spider should be classified. The spider has been proposed as a synonym for L. cornutus due to their similar male pedipalps. However, their habitats vary greatly. This finding has been used as evidence that these two species are distinct.
