What is "barn spider"

n. an orange and tan spider with darkly banded legs that spins an orb web daily; "the barn spider was made famous in E. B. White's book `Charlotte's Web'" [syn: Araneus cavaticus]

Araneus cavaticus, commonly known as the barn spider, is a common orb-weaver spider native to North America. They are around three quarters of an inch in length and are usually yellow and brown in color. They often construct their webs in wooden human structures, hence their common name. The species is notable for being the basis for the character Charlotte in the book Charlotte's Web by American writer E. B. White.