Spider Identification

[neverwhere]

Has anyone seen anything like this before? I've searched all around for any information about spiders with rectangular shaped bodies and I've found nothing, but what else might it be?

It's underneath the eaves on the shed in our backyard, and there are very large webs all around the area. It hasn't really moved much since we discovered it (a few days ago), and it seems to be wrapped up quite a bit in its silk.

Oh, by the way, we're in Northern Ontario. Thanks for any information you can provide!

[neverwhere]

So it's not looking rectangular anymore, but it's still quite large.

[paupackard]

looks like a araneida, Araneus quadratus and Araneus diadematus have big abdomens like that,

[Theraphosid]

Yeah that's what I was thinking, but look at the web it's in Araneus builds orbs, not cobwebs...

Plus, that abdomen is strangely shaped, large, yet not the same appearance as a large araneus.

http://www.nwspiders.org/araneus.diadematus.html
http://www.uksafari.com/araneusquadratus.htm

[Theraphosid]

I could be wrong though, neverwhere, is there an orb web near by?

[neverwhere]

That's definitely it! Look at the pattern on the back:


(Our orbweaver)


(An orbweaver in Florida)

I'm not sure if the large webs nearby are orb webs. I think they are, but I've not seen this spider anywhere near the centre of either of the webs, and both webs are damaged (have been since we first discovered the spider).

Strange how it hasn't made a new web. It just seems to sit up there in the corner cobwebs with its legs wrapped around itself.

Thank you for your help!

[Theraphosid]

Hm, I'm not so sure. It's possible, maybe it has retreated from it's web to create an eggsac. Look out within the next few days for a large white silken mass.

[paupackard]

i didnt mean that it was one of those two species, i only meant that i t waas similar and that it was probably the same family.
I didnt really consider the web, i couldnt see it very well. it-s just that the only spiders I know that have large strange shaped abdomens with similar patterns are araneida.