Pumpkin Season

Charlotte H was lucky to find this visitor hurrying by!

This bright orange visitor dashed across my back yard recently. It is easy to see how “Pumpkin Spider” is its nickname. More formally it is the Araneus marmoreus, commonly called the marbled orb-weaver. This showy character is found throughout all of Canada to Alaska, the northern Rockies, from North Dakota to Texas, and then east to the Atlantic, as well as in Europe.

Their webs are found in trees, shrubs and tall weeds, and grasses in moist, wooded settings and along the banks of streams. The webs have a "signal" thread attached to the center that notifies the spider when prey has been captured. Araneus marmoreus hides in a silken retreat to the side of the web at the end of the signal thread.

 To find out more, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araneus_moreus

 BRFAL members, keep sending in stories or pictures of your very own “Fall Finds!”