The Cross Orbweaver is a spider from Europe with a white cross of dots on its back, often seen in fall in a big round web on a porch or in a garden. It now lives across much of the United States and southern Canada. It's also called the European garden spider.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Females are about ¼–¾ in (6.5–20 mm) long and much larger than males (5.5–13 mm). Color ranges from pale yellow to orange-brown or dark gray, but every one has a mottled back with white markings that form a cross.
Look-alikes
Look at the back. The Marbled Orbweaver has a nearly round, usually orange abdomen with dark brown-to-black marbling and a leaf-like dark pattern. The Cross Orbweaver has the white cross of dots instead. Colors vary a lot in both species, so color alone won't tell them apart.
Why they get mixed upBoth are plump orange fall orbweavers, and both get called "pumpkin spider."
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Gardens
- Porches and buildings
- Meadows
- Woodland edges and hedgerows
- Range
- Introduced from Europe; in North America it ranges from New England and the Southeast to California and the Northwest, plus southern Canada from British Columbia to Newfoundland.
- Preferred conditions
- Webs go up wherever there are plants or structures to anchor them, often near buildings with outdoor lights that draw in insects.
- When to see it
In the US
Active Aug–Oct
Behavior
- Diet
- Flying insects such as flies and mosquitoes, wrapped in silk before eating
- Activity
- Females spin up to 16 in (40 cm) across. When disturbed, the spider shakes its web so fast it blurs, which may confuse predators.
- Social life
- Females sometimes eat males right after mating.
Life cycle
- Breeding season
- Adults appear from late summer through fall; in the San Francisco Bay Area they can be found year-round but are most noticeable in fall.
- Nest
- In late September females lay 300–900 eggs in a silk cocoon tucked under bark or in cracks.
Cautions
- Cautions
- Harmless to people. It rarely bites, and only when handled or cornered; a bite may sting a little, like a bee sting.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- Cross Orbweavers were the first spiders in space, flown on NASA's Skylab 3 mission in 1973 to see how they would spin webs in weightlessness.
More species to explore
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