Araneus diadematus
(Cross Orb-weaver)

Picture ID 33472

Comments & ID Thoughts

These spiders are all over my screened-in sun porch that is about 20 feet from a wooded area in my backyard (15 miles south of Cleveland). It’s dead in this photo (my cat got it) but is about 1.5 to 2 inches long. Several of them are around the tops of screens/windows. I haven’t seen any on or near the floor—they’re all eye-level or higher up. They come out at dusk/evening and typically aren’t seen during the day. I’m sure they are harmless, but they are pretty gnarly looking and I’ve seen about 7 of them at a time in the maybe 300 square feet of space on my porch.

Submitted by:
jesslyn
Submitted: Sep 2, 2018
Photographed: Aug 31, 2018
Spider: Araneus diadematus (Cross Orb-weaver)
Location: Seven Hills, Ohio, United States
Spotted Outdoors: Man-made structure (building wall, fences, etc.),Low foliage (shrubs, herbs, garden, excluding flowers),High foliage (includes trees and tree trunks)
Found in web?: No
Attributes: Dorsal

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TangledWeb

Moderator

February 16, 2019 8:49 am

Hi, she’s an orbweaver. Either Neoscona crucifera or Araneus diadematus. This is the first time I’ve heard of a cat killing one. My cats think spiders are slow and boring. Yes, they’re harmless to humans unless you have an allergy or compromised immune system. The fangs have bacteria on them, like almost all solid surfaces. The mechanical puncture of the skin can introduce bacteria into the body. So can rose thorns. The trick is to avoid the punctures to reduce risk. Treat spiders like thorny roses. Look and touch gently- never grab or press your body against them. Your observations… Read more »