The genus Larinioides is represented by seven species worldwide. The three species found in Minnesota (and much of North America) are also found across a wide swath of Europe and Asia and thus have Holarctic distributions. Spiders in this genus are often called the Furrow Spiders due to the pattern on their abdomens. I consider them medium to large spiders with a typical orbweaver profile and the typical vertical orb web of the family Araneidae. The underside of the abdomen is marked with what looks like a pale set of parentheses; this trait can also be found in some Araneus but can be used to distinguish Larinioides from Neoscona which has a similar pale pattern but it is broken up.

These orbweavers are nocturnal, repairing or spinning a new web each night; they rest in the center of the web while waiting for prey in the dark but retreat to nearby cover during the day (Dondale et al., 2003). Dondale et al. also indicates that the webs of these spiders typically have fewer than 20 radii extending from the center and that they mature in late spring with adults still able to be found into the Autumn (2003). Based on observations from Minnesota, these species and their webs can often be found on human structures and near water. All three species have a known distribution that suggests each should be found statewide.

Distinguishing between the three species in Minnesota can be a little tricky. Some individuals are clearly one species and not the others but some individuals have overlapping characteristics which requires some caution when identifying them. Most taxonomic keys focus on characteristics of the genitalia which are just not visible unless you are looking at preserved specimens under a microscope.

L. sclopetarius or Gray Cross Spider has longer legs than the other two species. The femurs are typically gray rather than yellowish (but some individuals can show yellow to orange). Sestakova et al. (2014) indicates that the ventral side of the femurs should have dark spots; the metatarsus on each of the hindmost legs has a dark band at its midpoint (a trait shared with L. patagiatus but not L. cornutus). The carapace is red-brown to brown and has distinct white lateral borders; it is covered with whitish hairs that are most dense in the eye region which can make it look like the anterior edge also has a white border. The abdomen can be gray to dark gray and the undulating pattern that makes the furrow is often broken about the middle of the abdomen (Dondale et al., 2003). Distinguishing between this species and L. patagiatus can be difficult with some individuals. A good example of L. sclopetarius can be seen here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/177988051.

L. patagiatus or Bordered Orbweaver shares traits with the other two species which lends toward confusion. The legs are shorter than in L. sclopetarius with yellow to orange femurs instead of gray; there is a dark band in the middle of the metatarsus on the hindmost leg as in L. sclopetarius. The carapace is red-brown with white lateral margins but the margins are not as distinct as they are in L. sclopetarius. The hairs on the carapace are more uniformly distributed. The furrow pattern on the abdomen has undulations that are more jagged than the rounded undulations found in L. cornutus, but sometimes that trait is difficult to judge. A good example of this species can be seen here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/181273676.

L. cornutus or Furrow Orbweaver also has shorter legs with femurs that are yellow to orange. This species lacks the dark band in the middle of the metatarsus on the hindleg that is found in the other two members of this genus mentioned here. The carapace is red-brown with matted white hairs that are rather uniformly distributed. The abdomen in this species is typically smooth/less hairy (sometimes glossy) and the undulating furrow marks are rounded and less jagged than those found in L. patagiatus. Distinguishing between this species and L. patagiatus can be difficult with some individuals. A good example of this species can be seen here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/181995990.

SOURCES:
Dondale, Charles D., James H. Redner, P. Paquin & H. W. Levi. 2003. The insects and arachnids of Canada. Part 23: The orb-weaving spiders of Canada and Alaska (Araneae: Uloboridae, Tetragnathidae, Araneidae, Theridiosomatidae). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, 371 pages.

Sestakova, A., Marusik, Y.M., and M. M. Omelko. 2014. A revision of the Holarctic genus Larinioides Caporiacco, 1934 (Araneae:Araneidae). Zootaxa, 3894 (1):061-082.