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Photo#824723
Ever changing spider - Araneus marmoreus - female

Ever changing spider - Araneus marmoreus - Female
Manchaug, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA
November 30, 2008
Now I have a slightly more complex question that just a simple ID. Over the years I have watch these very same spiders, that love making the the siding of the house home, change and "evolve". When originally observed, back as a child, the coloration was a very bland brown with a slightly cream colored abdomen. As the years passed they started to have gradually more vibrant colors starting with yellows to the abdomen and the browns started to shift to orange. As of 2009 this is what they looked like. Now I am seeing these same spiders (same structure, characteristics, style patterning on the abdomen, and avg. size), you could not convince me that i was just seeing other species and making a mistake, they are a vibrant green with yellow and green abdomens instead of the yellow orange with orange legs you see above. I was wonder what was really behind this since the environment surrounding my house as remained unchanged over the same years and effects of chemicals and what-not is out because there is none used anywhere on the 8 acres of heavily wooded land and the house being 300ft off the road.

Moved
Moved from Orb Weavers.

Moved
Moved from Spiders.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

It would be great if you could take a picture now.
We would love to see the vibrant green version

 
Absolutely
I see if I can catch one out and about. I haven't had to leave a light on outside in a bit, they havent been congregating on the house in the past couple months, makes it so i have to hunt them down :-).

Note
Also I must add, the original color of the spiders made sense, as the house has almond colored siding.

Marbled Orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus)?
It kinda looks like a Marbled Orbweaver to me. They are naturally highly variable in coloration. The ones we get here in Missouri in late October are usually orange and look like little carved pumpkins. Hence, we used to call them "pumpkin spiders" when I was a kid.

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