Cross Orbweaver
Araneus diadematus
The spider consumes its own silk web daily to digest and recycle the proteins needed to construct a new one.
- Scientific name
- Araneus diadematus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Arachnida › Araneae › Araneidae › Araneus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, open forest clearings, hedgerows, meadows, and suburban gardens
- Diet
- Flying insects, including flies, mosquitoes, moths, aphids, and wasps captured in vertical orb webs
- Range
- Europe, North America, Northern Asia
- Size
- Females 6.5–20 mm body length; males 5.5–13 mm
- Lifespan
- 1–2 years
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Broad-spectrum insecticide use and hedge removal reducing web anchor points and insect prey availability
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. This spider is non-aggressive and will drop from its web or hide in nearby foliage when disturbed. Bites are rare and only occur if the spider is pinched against skin, causing minor local pain and swelling. If bitten, wash with soap and water.
The spider species Araneus diadematus is commonly called the European garden spider , diadem spider , 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 . It is an orb-weaver spider found in Europe and North America.
Photo: hedera.baltica, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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