HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Previous events

TaxonomyBrowse

Info

ImagesLinksBooksData

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Orb Weavers (Araneidae) » Araneus » Marbled Orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus)

Species Araneus marmoreus - Marbled Orbweaver

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Remarks · Works Cited

Adult Female - Araneus marmoreus - female

Male Orb Weaver? - Araneus marmoreus - male

Id help needed - Furrow Orbweaver (Larinioides cornutus) ????? - Araneus marmoreus - female

Yellow body bug on tree - Araneus marmoreus - female

orange orb weaver spider, ventral view - Araneus marmoreus? - Araneus marmoreus - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)

Class Arachnida (Arachnids)

Order Araneae (Spiders)

Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)

No Taxon (Entelegynae)

Family Araneidae (Orb Weavers)

Genus Araneus

Species marmoreus (Marbled Orbweaver)

Other Common Names

Marbled Orb Weaver, Pumpkin Spider

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

See the World Spider Catalog.

Explanation of Names

Araneus marmoreus Clerck, 1757

Latin "of or like marble" from marmor- "marble"

Size

Female: 9-18 mm; male: 6-9 mm (1)

Identification

Adult Female

Epigyne (ventral/lateral)

Range

Alaska to Newfoundland, south to Oregon, Utah, sourthern Texas, and South Carolina. (2)

Remarks

John Sloan posted a series of images showing some of the variation in this species. Here are those and more to give a feeling of the possibilities:

Typical orange:

Becoming a shrivelled late fall Orange (the abdomen is shrivelled because the spider has lost body mass from laying its eggs):

Can be pale orange to beige:

but commonly bright yellow:

though sometimes pale yellow to white:

to an overall creamy white:

or, different colors surrounding a black patch! See discussion here.

the colors can be almost black and white:

or dark with dull yellow:

to very dark:

to red:

Works Cited

1.	How to Know the Spiders B. J. Kaston. 1978. WCB/McGraw-Hill.

2.	The Orb-weaving Spiders of Canada and Alaska - The Insects and Arachnids of Canada Part 23 Dondale, C.D., J.H. Redner, P, Paquin and H.W. Levi. 2003. NRC Research Press.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 1:20pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, john and jane balaban, Lynette Elliott, cheins, Chuck Entz, kschnei, jsloan
Last updated 14 January, 2023 - 5:22pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version