Note: The
spider was a garden spider, cats were not harmed.
The European garden spider, diadem spider, cross
spider, or cross orbweaver is a very common and
well-known orb-weaver spider in Europe and parts
of North America, in a range extending from New
England and the Southeast to California and the
northwestern United States and adjacent parts of
southern Canada.
Individual spiders' colouring can range from extremely
light yellow to very dark grey, but all European
garden spiders have mottled markings across the
back, with five or more large, white dots forming
a cross. The white dots result from cells filled
with guanine, which is a byproduct of protein metabolism...