The

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

species ''Araneus diadematus'' is commonly called the European garden spider, diadem spider, orangie, cross spider, and crowned orb weaver. It is sometimes called the pumpkin spider, although this name is also used for a different species, ''

Araneus marmoreus ''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 ...

''. It is an

orb-weaver spider Orb-weaver spiders are members of the spider family (biology), family Araneidae. They are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped spider web, webs often found in gardens, fields, and forests. The English word "orb" can mean "circ ...

found in Europe, where it is native, and North America, where it is introduced.

Range

''A. diadematus'' has a

holarctic The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical reg ...

distribution throughout Europe and across North America, from southern

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, and from

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

to Newfoundland.Cross Spider
Washington NatureMapping Project

Size and markings

Individual spiders' colourings can range from extremely light yellow to very dark grey, but all ''A. diadematus'' spiders have mottled white markings across the dorsal abdomen, with four or more segments forming a cross. The markings are formed in cells filled with

guanine Guanine () ( symbol G or Gua) is one of the four main nucleobases found in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA, the others being adenine, cytosine, and thymine (uracil in RNA). In DNA, guanine is paired with cytosine. The guanine nucleoside is c ...

, which is a byproduct of

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...

metabolism Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run c ...

. Adult females range in length from , while males range from .Cross Orbweaver
Penn State Entomology Occasionally, the female will eat the male directly after mating. (See video below.)

Specialization

The legs of orb-weaver spiders are specialized for spinning orb webs. The webs are built by the larger females, which hang head down in the center of the web or remain hidden in nearby foliage, with one claw hooked to a signal line connected to the main orb, waiting for a disturbance to signal the arrival of prey. Prey is then quickly bitten and wrapped in silk to be stored for later consumption. The initial bite serves to paralyze the prey and minimize the danger of the spider herself being stung or bitten, and the enzymes thus injected serve to begin liquefaction of the prey's internal structures. Alongside the use of the web to capture other prey, the spiders are also cannibals and prey on each other, but this only happens just before, during, or just after sexual activity. They attack based on their size, sexual experience, and hunger levels. ''A. diadematus'' is a reclusive creature and only bites humans if cornered or otherwise provoked. It responds to a disturbance by vibrating rapidly in its web until it becomes a blur, a reaction that is assumed to confuse potential predators.

Gallery

File:Araneus diadematus (Kakatu蜘蛛).jpg, On its web, showing the markings on its abdomen File:Araneus diadematus spiderlings.jpg, Spiderlings in an orb web File:Araneus diadematus spiderling cluster.jpg, Spiderling cluster File:Araneus diadematus, ventral, female (D19-101-148).jpg, Ventral view, female File:Araneus Diadematus - Facial Detail.jpg, Facial Detail, Female File:European garden spider on banana plant 001.jpg, European garden spider on banana plant File:Araneus diadematus - mating behaviour - short.ogv, Courting male is consumed by the female (video, 1m 38s)

References

External links

European orb-weavers
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q337509 Araneus Spiders described in 1758 Articles containing video clips Holarctic spiders Taxa named by Carl Alexander Clerck