Heptagonal orbweaver (Gea heptagon)
The heptagonal orbweaver is a spider in the family Araneidae that is not dangerous to people. GBIF holds 371 licensed U.S. records of it; it reaches our listing threshold in 29 states, most of all Florida (49), Texas (37) and Georgia (27). Its observation records peak in August.
Gea heptagon is a species of orb weaver spiders in the family Araneidae. It is found in Pacific islands and Australia, and has been introduced into the United States and Argentina.
From Wikipedia: Gea heptagon, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is the heptagonal orbweaver poisonous or venomous?
Not in any medically significant way. Like almost all spiders the heptagonal orbweaver (family Araneidae) has venom for its prey, but it is not a widow or recluse, the two U.S. groups whose bites need medical attention.
Which states have the heptagonal orbweaver?
Records are spread over 29 states; the top three, Florida, Texas and Georgia, hold 30% of them.
| # | State | Records | Share of state spiders | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | 49 | 0.4% | 38th of 237 |
| 2 | Texas | 37 | 0.1% | 118th of 386 |
| 3 | Georgia | 27 | 0.4% | 54th of 186 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 26 | 0.6% | 31st of 107 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 25 | 0.3% | 63rd of 184 |
| 6 | Maryland | 19 | 0.3% | 66th of 153 |
| 7 | Virginia | 19 | 0.2% | 88th of 176 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 17 | 0.2% | 63rd of 164 |
| 9 | Delaware | 16 | 0.8% | 37th of 71 |
| 10 | Alabama | 15 | 0.4% | 59th of 143 |
| 11 | Illinois | 13 | 0.1% | 169th of 243 |
| 12 | New York | 13 | 0.2% | 71st of 149 |
| 13 | Ohio | 10 | 0.1% | 86th of 332 |
| 14 | Indiana | 9 | 0.2% | 93rd of 133 |
| 15 | Kansas | 8 | 0.5% | 38th of 94 |
| 16 | Tennessee | 8 | 0.2% | 71st of 138 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | 7 | 0.2% | 86th of 189 |
| 18 | Missouri | 7 | 0.3% | 54th of 117 |
| 19 | Arkansas | 6 | 0.4% | 66th of 114 |
| 20 | Mississippi | 6 | 0.4% | 44th of 117 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 6 | 0.3% | 64th of 121 |
| 22 | Kentucky | 5 | 0.3% | 61st of 103 |
| 23 | New Jersey | 5 | 0.2% | 80th of 127 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | 4 | 0.1% | 110th of 149 |
| 25 | California | 3 | 0.0% | 276th of 309 |
| 26 | Michigan | 2 | 0.1% | 85th of 122 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | 2 | 0.1% | 120th of 149 |
| 28 | Connecticut | 1 | 0.1% | 69th of 86 |
| 29 | West Virginia | 0 | — | — |
When is the heptagonal orbweaver seen?
Across the U.S., observation records of the heptagonal orbweaver run mostly March through November, peaking in August with 16% of them. Winter (December to February) holds 9% of them.
Season by state
Observation records run through most of the year in Texas. Each of these states peaks in a different month: April in Florida and May in Texas.
| State | Main season | Peak month | Observation records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | December through August | April | 44 |
| Texas | most of the year | May | 33 |
Where the heptagonal orbweaver is recorded in each state
Florida
Florida holds 49 licensed records, the 38th most recorded of 237 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Florida run mostly December through August, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Alachua County, Sarasota County and Orange County. Next come Broward County (6) and Putnam County (3).
Texas
Texas holds 37 licensed records, the joint 118th most recorded of 386 spiders listed there. Its observation records in Texas run through most of the year, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Harris County, Travis County and Dallas County. Next come Galveston County (4) and Montgomery County (3).
Top counties in the U.S.
| # | County | State | Records | Share of U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alachua County | Florida | 10 | 2.7% |
| 2 | Sarasota County | Florida | 10 | 2.7% |
| 3 | Harris County | Texas | 10 | 2.7% |
| 4 | Orange County | Florida | 7 | 1.9% |
| 5 | Broward County | Florida | 6 | 1.6% |
| 6 | Travis County | Texas | 5 | 1.3% |
| 7 | Dallas County | Texas | 5 | 1.3% |
| 8 | Galveston County | Texas | 4 | 1.1% |
| 9 | Putnam County | Florida | 3 | 0.8% |
| 10 | Montgomery County | Texas | 3 | 0.8% |
| 11 | Citrus County | Florida | 2 | 0.5% |
| 12 | Brazoria County | Texas | 2 | 0.5% |
| 13 | Fort Bend County | Texas | 2 | 0.5% |
| 14 | Clay County | Florida | 1 | 0.3% |
| 15 | Collier County | Florida | 1 | 0.3% |
How recent are the heptagonal orbweaver records?
Most of what is known about the heptagonal orbweaver is recent: 91% of dated U.S. records were made in 2017–2026, and half date from 2022 or later. The oldest dated record is from 1965; the busiest year was 2025, with 70 records.
| Decade | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1 | 0.3% |
| 1980s | 4 | 1.0% |
| 1990s | 4 | 1.0% |
| 2000s | 3 | 0.8% |
| 2010s | 72 | 18.7% |
| 2020s | 301 | 78.2% |
Species recorded in the same counties
Of the 28 counties where the heptagonal orbweaver is most recorded, 17 are also top counties for Tigrosa annexa, more than for any other spider. None of its closest neighbors is venomous.
| Species | Shared counties |
|---|---|
| Tigrosa annexa | 17 |
| Box spider | 16 |
| Gray wall jumper | 16 |
| Leucauge argyrobapta | 16 |
| Spiny-backed orbweaver | 16 |
| Familiar jumping spider | 15 |
| Larinia directa | 15 |
| Zilloides orb-weaver | 15 |
Related species in the U.S.
Other members of the family Araneidae with profiles here: Black-and-yellow argiope, Spotted orbweaver, Spiny-backed orbweaver, Garden spider, American golden orb weaver and Spined micrathena.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.