# Garden spider (*Araneus diadematus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/garden-spider  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The garden spider (Araneus diadematus) is an arachnid in the spider subgroup, belonging to the family Araneidae and the genus Araneus. It is classified in the order Araneae, class Arachnida, phylum Arthropoda and kingdom Animalia, and its scientific name was authored by Clerck, 1757. Other English names for it include cross spider, diadem spider, cross orbweaver, garden cross spider and garden orb-web spider. Checklists record it in Switzerland, France, Iceland, Sweden and Slovenia.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | 4 mm – 2.25 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Invertivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | forest, grassland, human_modified, wetland |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Generations a year | One |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | 5 countries |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Arachnida
- order: Araneae
- family: Araneidae
- genus: Araneus
- species: *Araneus diadematus* Clerck, 1757

Synonyms: *Aranea cruciger*, *Aranea diadema*, *Aranea diademata*, *Aranea diademata islandica*, *Aranea diadematus*, *Aranea linnaei*, *Aranea myagria*, *Aranea papalis*, *Araneus cruciger*, *Araneus diadema*, *Araneus diadema*, *Araneus diademata*, *Araneus diadematus diadematus*, *Araneus diadematus islandicus*, *Araneus diadematus nemorosus*, *Araneus diadematus niger*, *Araneus diadematus soror*, *Araneus diadematus stellatus*, *Araneus diademus*, *Araneus hortensis*, *Araneus linnaei*, *Araneus myagria*, *Araneus papalis*, *Araneus peleg*, *Epeira diademata*, *Epeira diademata*, *Epeira diademata alpina*, *Epeira diademata nigra*, *Epeira diademata obscura*, *Epeira diadematus*, *Epeira frutetorum*, *Epeira frutticosa*, *Epeira myagria*, *Epeira soror*, *Epeira stellata*

## Countries on record

Countries where Catalogue of Life checklists list the species. Many checklists carry no country data, so the list is often incomplete. It is not a range map.

France, Iceland, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the garden spider?

The garden spider is an arachnid in the spider subgroup. It belongs to the family Araneidae in the order Araneae.

### What is the scientific name of the garden spider?

The scientific name of the garden spider is Araneus diadematus, placing it in the genus Araneus.

### Who named Araneus diadematus and when?

Araneus diadematus was named by Clerck, 1757.

### What other names does the garden spider have?

The garden spider is also called the cross spider, diadem spider, cross orbweaver, garden cross spider and garden orb-web spider.

### Which countries is the garden spider recorded in?

Checklists record the garden spider in Switzerland, France, Iceland, Sweden and Slovenia.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844), CC BY 4.0, 2.0. Chauvier, Y., Adde, A., Bergamini, A. et al. (2025) TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Garden spider (Araneus diadematus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/garden-spider