female orb-weaving spider

5846  Hello,  I am attaching a photo of a larger spider that was on the outside ‘side’ of our house….believe he must be some sort of garden spider? I have attached one photo of him taken inside a plastic cup. I set him free after taking the photo. This photo was in the fall season and in northern NE WA state.   Thank you,  Ellen

This is a female orb-weaving spider (family Araneidae). I cannot be certain because of the angle from which this image was taken, but I think that it may be in the genus Neoscona. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.