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Suspended in darkness, an orchard orb weaver (Leucauge venusta) rests motionless at the center of its web, which shimmers with iridescent light in this photograph taken in Croatan National Forest. Known for their vibrant green and silver bodies and symmetrical webs, these spiders are often found in low vegetation along forest edges and wetlands. Their webs are oriented on a horizontal plane, and the spiders typically hang belly-up beneath the center. As predators of small flying insects, they play a vital ecological role in natural pest control. While not threatened, their populations are sensitive to habitat alteration and pesticide use. Public lands like Croatan provide essential refuges for arthropods whose survival is closely tied to intact understory vegetation and healthy forest ecosystems.