The Diadem Spider
10 July 2021
As we head into the heart and heat of a Minnesota summer, it is time for our larger orbweavers to reach maturity. I've seen several observations of Araneus nordmanni, Araneus bicentenarius, and Argiope aurantia start to pop up here on iNaturalist.
One of the distinctive species of Araneus that we have in Minnesota is the non-native A. diadematus which is native to Europe. The common name assigned to this species here on iNaturalist is the Cross Spider but I prefer the name of Diadem Spider which eliminates some confusion with another species that is sometimes called a cross spider: Neoscona crucifera. This native species has cross right in its specific epithet: crucifera. Here on iNaturalist that species is called the Spotted Orbweaver which I typically think of as a more general term for members of that genus. I guess this is why we scientists prefer the Latin! :)
Araneus diadematus is not very common yet in Minnesota. Most observations have been out of the greater metro area of the Twin Cities but there have been several observations out of the Rochester area as well. There are also single records from Dodge and Freeborn Counties in the last year which suggests this species is slowly expanding its range. Keep an eye out for this species in their typical orb webs as you hunt for spiders in the coming months.
There is some great information about identifying this species on BugGuide (my favorite online field guide): https://bugguide.net/node/view/3376.
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