Orb Weaver? - Araneus marmoreus

May is a strange time of year

to see this beauty. This is what they normally look like in November just before they die. Any ideas on how this one lived through the winter? Was it inside, staying warm and feeding?

… john and jane balaban, 2 January, 2007 - 8:59pm

Kinda looks like...

Araneus marmoreus
Maybe the color in your photo is a little off?

… Troy Bartlett, 11 September, 2004 - 10:48pm

Marbled orb weaver

I agree, Troy.

… Eric R. Eaton, 13 September, 2004 - 1:32pm

Color

We photographed one in the fall in Cincinnati that had this same rich orange color. Here's a little blurb we found on the net:

New York State Conservationist
June 01, 2003

In the February 2003 issue of the Conservationist, we incorrectly
identified the Hunter Orange Spider as a crab spider.
According to Linda S. Rayor and Cole Gilbert of the Cornell University
Department of Entomology, the spider is actually a marbled orb-weaver
Araneus marmoreus of the family Araneidae. As the spider matures in
autumn the color of the abdomen changes to a bright orange. Rayor and
Gilbert were surprised to see a photo of the spider near snow, as most
individuals die by mid-November, leaving only the egg sac(s) to
overwinter. We regret the error.

Letters Editor

… john and jane balaban, 12 September, 2004 - 5:36pm

Color

No, the color is not off. The brightness is caused by the flash. I posted another photo of the same spider, but without the flash. It is quite orange.

… knapperbill, 12 September, 2004 - 12:16pm

color

I can concur the color is not off, as I just uploaded a pic of the exact same animal with identical coloration. I will also add that the spider was just that orange *before* the pic was taken, so you can't blame the flash.

We used to own a pest control company down in the Tampa area, and hubby came in to have me look at his find. Neither of us had ever seen an arachnid this colorful!

Maryjane in Ga.

… Maryjane, 16 November, 2006 - 4:42pm