Araneus marmoreus, The marbled orb weaver is a colorful orb weaver species. Due to its orange color, it is sometimes also referred to as pumpkin spider. The marbled orb weaver can be found throughout the east of the United States and in Canada.
Marbled orb weaver description
The Marbled Orb Weaver can have several appearances. The coloring can be a bright orange, a mixture of lighter orange and beige, bright yellow with black, pale yellow and black, cream, to brown to even red.
Due to the sometimes bright orange abdomens that it received its nickname as the Pumpkin Spider. Another attributing factor for their nickname is the fact that they are most often seen in the fall time when pumpkins become popular. As the Fall sets in, their abdomens will enlarge, making them much more noticeable.
Usually, mixed within the patterns on its abdomen, are two swirling darker stripes that run side by side down the middle. It is almost wrong to call them stripes because of how much they swirl, and often even touch each other. These patterns give the abdomen a marbled like appearance.
Size
Female marbled orb weavers can reach a size of up to one inch (24 mm).
Web
Like any orb weaver, the marbled orb weaver spins large webs to catch small flying insects. The spider rests in its web and feels the vibrations once a prey hits the web.
Bite
As is true for any orb weaver, the bite of the marbled orb weaver is not dangerous for humans. It may cause similar symptoms like a bee sting at worst.
Araneus marmoreus scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Infraorder: Araneomorphae
- Family: Aranidae
- Genus: Araneus
- Species: Araneus marmoreus
Distribution of the marbled orb weaver in the USA
The marbled orb weaver can be found all over the Northern United States from Coast to Coast, including Alaska. It ranges from Oregon down to Texas and the east coast from there. It hasn’t been sighted in Florida, however. That means that it can be found in the following states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
This spider was outside of the kitchen window in Williamsburg, VA. It’s really beautiful! What is it??
Hello Jim,
Beautiful shot! This is a marbles orb weaver (Araneus marmoreus): http://usaspiders.com/araneus-marmoreus-marbled-orb-weaver/
I’ve used your great picture in our post.
Body between .5 and 1 inch long, yellow abdomen and creamy salmon/orange thorax/head. Striped legs. Had a kinda circular web.
Hello Anne, thanks for getting in touch! Would you mind sharing where you found this spider?
This is most certainly a male marbled orb weaver (Araneus marmoreus). Here is an image of a very similar-looking fellow: https://www.jungledragon.com/image/90525/marbled_orb-weaver_-_araneus_marmoreus_male.html
And here is our overview for Araneus marmoreus: https://usaspiders.com/araneus-marmoreus-marbled-orb-weaver/
Found in Barnegat Light NJ spider is more green in color than it appears in photo
Hello Lou, thanks for getting in touch. The colors look a bit interesting, indeed. The pattern looks like a marbled orb weaver (Araneus marmoreus). Here is an image with a very similar pattern:
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Finfinitespider.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F10%2F781px-Araneus_marmoreus-wiki.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Finfinitespider.com%2Fbig-orange-spider%2F&tbnid=_HyZgx5DpKbeGM&vet=12ahUKEwi_1sjz5O7xAhUc_rsIHUHeBe8QMyhAegQIARBf..i&docid=vdjGjBJL8gGaHM&w=781&h=600&q=yellow%20spider%20wisconsin&ved=2ahUKEwi_1sjz5O7xAhUc_rsIHUHeBe8QMyhAegQIARBf
Here is our overview for the marbled orb weaver: https://usaspiders.com/araneus-marmoreus-marbled-orb-weaver/
Was it that spider?
My grandparents live in Anchorage, AK and have had this spider living in their doorway for a while. I haven’t been able to find a match to it anywhere, but I suspect it might be an orb weaver of some kind.
Hi Merritt, you are right, this is a female orb weaver. It took me a little time to figure out which one it is since the color pattern is quite unique. I am fairly certain that this is a marbled orb weaver (Araneus marmoreus). It is usually orange or yellow but sometimes also black and white like the one your grandparents found. Here is a similar looking lady: https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/23839199
I found this spider on my back porch in Wasilla Alaska. I am new to Alaska and have never seen anything like this before. He is extremely fast. Has a web and only came out when a fly got stuck. I found him after he wrapped the fly. I was trying to get pictures but he unhooked his dinner and took it back to his crack in the window seal. One side had a huge black dot and his other side had a different marking. Please help.. Thanks.
Hello Jodi, thanks for getting in touch! This is a marbled orb weaver (Araneus marmoreus): https://usaspiders.com/araneus-marmoreus-marbled-orb-weaver/
It’s not a medically significant spider.
Found on the side of my house near Meadow Lakes, Alaska. Round tannish body with markings and four indentations on top, also legs have dark brown and off white alternating segments.
Hello Kym, thanks for getting in touch! This is an orbweaver in the genus Araneus. Most likely a marbled orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus): https://usaspiders.com/araneus-marmoreus-marbled-orb-weaver/
I found this fella outside my firehouse tonight. Not sure if it’s an orb or furrow of some sort. About a 3/4-1” spider. Good sized web about 2’ tall and 18” wide spanning the gap between the building and parking Ballard
Hi Erik, this is definitely some type of orbweaver. Can you share your location to help with identification?
A neighbor and I found this yellowish and black spider in Palmer, Alaska.
Hello Laurie, thanks for getting in touch! It’s a bit hard to make a confident ID off this pic alone but this is most likely a female marbled orb weaver (Araneus marmoreus): https://usaspiders.com/araneus-marmoreus-marbled-orb-weaver/
Web in a road sign near Manistee Michigan
Please identify this spider.
Thank you!
Hello Kathleen, thanks for sharing this great shot! This is a beuatiful female marbled orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus): https://usaspiders.com/araneus-marmoreus-marbled-orb-weaver/
Seen with web on screen house structure Deep River, Conn 10/2/2021
Hello Lori, thanks for getting in touch! This is a beautiful femal marbled orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus): https://usaspiders.com/araneus-marmoreus-marbled-orb-weaver/
This Araneus so. (Marbled Orb Weaver?) changed its color to blue to match the disassembled blue hot tub where it made its home!
Kelso, WA, September 28, 2021.
Hello, my wife picked this up off the ground bc she thought it was a berry. When it moved in her hands she screamed and threw it down. I got a good laugh! I picked it up and put it in a safer area.
Hi, hope you’re doing great. My name is Laura Brambila and was just curious if Marbeled Orb spiders have ever been spotted in CA. Tha k you, just asking for a friend. Hope to here from you soon.
Warm regards,
Laura
P.s my phone will not allow me to download the pic but have one saved for you. Thank you!
My 6 year old son and I were on our way to a ground blind in the woods to do some hunting and not 5 feet from our blind was this spider. I thought it was interesting enough to research this spider so I found out that it is the marbled orb spider.
What kind of spider is this? Is it poisonous? After I killed it an orange liquid came out. Were these eggs? If not why was the body so big and fat?
Hi! Just found one in California! I noticed California isn’t on your list of places they are found.
We saw this pumpkin spider yesterday on our fall walk!
A third spider in the Tuscaloosa Alabama area. Really enjoy identifying them with your site!
Hello Dane, thanks for getting in touch! This is a marbled orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus): https://usaspiders.com/araneus-marmoreus-marbled-orb-weaver/
Brown – Orange body, orange legs with black/white stripes
Located in Roswell Georgia
My name is Dmyer
Hello Dmyer, thanks for getting in touch! This is most likely a marbled orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus): https://usaspiders.com/araneus-marmoreus-marbled-orb-weaver/
Is this a marbled orb? Found in southern middle TN. I also have a video.