Thomas Eisner, Who Cracked Chemistry of Bugs, Dies at 81 - New York Times

Orb weavers are a diverse group of spiders from the Araneidea family, which encompasses many genera and species. These spiders characteristically build rounded webs, sometimes quite large, to catch nocturnal flying insect prey. Bites may occur when people walk into the webs accidentally. The bites may produce local pain and swelling, nausea and dizziness.