Cross orb-weaver (European garden spider)

Gardens, woodland edges, hedgerows, and vegetation near buildings across much of the Northern Hemisphere.

Carnivorous; captures flies, moths, aphids, and other small arthropods in a sticky orb web, then immobilizes them with silk and venom.

Builds or repairs a circular web, usually at dusk or dawn, and waits at its center or nearby for vibrations. Adults commonly mate in late summer; females produce an egg sac and die afterward.

Venom is not medically significant to humans, and bites are rare, usually causing only brief local irritation. It benefits gardens by controlling flying insect populations.