A round-bodied spider with a brilliantly patterned orange-and-yellow abdomen — sometimes called "pumpkin spider" for its autumn appearance and Halloween-perfect colors. Builds and rebuilds large vertical orb webs nightly.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Araneus marmoreus, commonly called the marbled orbweaver, is a species of spider belonging to the family Araneidae. It is sometimes also called the pumpkin spider from the resemblance of the female's inflated abdomen to an orange pumpkin. It has a Holarctic distribution.
Source: Wikipedia — Araneus marmoreus Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Round-bodied spider with mottled orange-and-black abdomen.
Similar species. Other orb weaver species.
Voice. N/A
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Small insects.
Behavior. Builds new orb web daily; recycles silk by eating old webs.
§ Range
Across most of North America
§ Habitat
Forest edges, weedy fields, gardens
§ Threats
Pesticide drift, lawn-centric yards reducing prey, habitat loss.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the marbled orb-weaver is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Skip pesticides. Maintain weedy garden corners. Tolerate webs (they'll be gone by morning).
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Araneus marmoreus
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Araneus marmoreus
- iNaturalist · taxon 49281
- IUCN Red List — search for Araneus marmoreus
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Araneus marmoreus
§ Sources cited
- American Arachnological Society
- iNaturalist
