Unidentified

I think she was Araneus diademaus. The species has the shoulder humps like A. gemma, but it is more likely to be in Massachusetts. The white line on A. gemma usually is brighter white than this. She’s an elderly female that already oviposited her eggs. The abdomen posterior points downward in old age. The elderly females are often photographed in Autumn walking on asphalt or trodden soil. I suspect that they become too hungry and dehydrated to make webs or that they don’t catch enough insects in cold weather, leading them to hunt for food and water.