User:CristaInABQ/sandbox

Pumpkin Spiders

Perhaps one of the most seasonal spiders is the “pumpkin spider,” which gets it name from its bulbous, rust-colored thorax and is particularly active around Halloween. Also called the European garden spider or cross orb weaver, the pumpkin spider is an introduced species from Europe, but relatively harmless to the ecosystem. It’s considered “holarctic,” meaning its range spans much of the northern hemisphere.

Orb weavers in general account for approximately 25 percent of spider diversity. “Orb weavers are always around, you just don’t notice them until they grow big,”

The pumpkin spider, Araneus diadematus, is a pretty versatile critter: it likes gardens, farms, orchards, suburban and urban areas, the edge of forests, waterways — you name it. You can even find the youngsters “ballooning” outside skyscrapers, where they catch the wind and sail to new territory on their silken threads.

A few fun facts to give a full sense of wonder about these eye-catching arachnids. It’s one of the few orb weavers regularly found at all stages of development. It eats its web every night in order to recycle the proteins and water to rebuild a new web. The males mature more quickly and sometimes pair up with immature females to wait for them to mature.

SOURCE: https://baynature.org/article/signs-of-the-season-pumpkin-spiders-on-the-move/