Hanging-Out on the Porch

I was having coffee on the porch the other day with Blonde Dog when this this 1.5 cm, very plump and decorative spider dropped-in. 

Grabbing my handheld device to Google it - my guess was that it might be a member of the genus Araneus - one of Wisconsin’s multiple orb-weaving spiders. 

I checked with the Bug Guy at the UW Department of Entomology and he confirmed that it is indeed an orb-weaver.  He had this to say: 

Based on the colouration of the abdomen, I suspect it's the "cross orb weaver" (Araneus diadematus) or a close relative. 

With a check of my field guide and the interweb I learned this is commonly known as the European garden spider. It is called the diadem spider, cross spider and crowned orb weaver. It is sometimes called the pumpkin spider. 

This species constructs an intricate geometric web coated with stickum. They spend most of their time on the hub monitoring it for vibrations felt through their legs. After they kill their prey they wrap it in silk thread sometimes consuming it later at their leisure. 

These are common arachnids and there is no special conservation status for this species.  

Pro Tip - If you cut yourself and you haven’t a bandage available you can staunch the bleeding by stuffing the web into your wound. 

All of that aside, it’s nice to have such a cool visitor hanging-around.