Yellow Garden Spiders

darc · #1 10-05-2009, 03:42 PM

They're extremely common around here (and many places) but I've always thought these guys (well... girls) were cool.

Took these pictures in the backyard today. I had two others building along the side of the house, but they seem to have moved on.

More info :
Arthropod Museum, Dept. of Entomology, University of Arkansas

Excerpts :

Quote:

This species occurs in Nova Scotia and southern Ontario, the eastern half of the United States, and south to Guatemala. It also occurs in California and Oregon. It is absent from intervening arid areas.
...
The stabilimentum apparently affords protection, perhaps by camouflaging the spiders, startling predators, or acting as an aposematic warning of the presence of webs. It seems to be especially effective in preventing birds from flying through webs. However, it can also cost spiders the loss of prey, and hungry spiders, which most need to capture prey, are less likely to build stabilimenta
...
The female usually eats her web each day and constructs a new one, often in the same place

-darc

EDIT : It's also really hard to get an auto-focus camera to focus on the spider when there's grass in the background...

Epiphile · #2 10-05-2009, 03:48 PM

Wow, that's a hell of a range for a wee little spider. Good for them. I'm in Southern Ontario, and I don't believe I've seen one of these yet, unless the colouration's really variable.

beckdg · #3 10-05-2009, 07:22 PM

the web looks familiar. the spider does not. very interesting none the less.

Pavel · #4 10-05-2009, 08:01 PM

Nice golden orb weaver!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epiphile

Wow, that's a hell of a range for a wee little spider. Good for them. I'm in Southern Ontario, and I don't believe I've seen one of these yet, unless the colouration's really variable.

LOL "wee" they aren't. At least the females aren't. A good-sized female can have a body of 2 inches or more in length -- that's not counting legspan.

The males on the other hand are tiny. Generally only one or two centimeters legspan. They're actually not uncommon in many areas of the US.

auggie · #5 10-05-2009, 10:39 PM

Man that it a cool little bugger. i remember last year there was one of those in a vine in my back yard i would catch bugs and toss em in there and watch the feast

RecycledAgain · #6 10-06-2009, 07:50 PM

Interesting, we call them banana spiders down here.

Dan

froggsong · #7 10-06-2009, 11:16 PM

I was thinking that was the same thing as the Banana Spiders back in SC. I didn't want to say it because I haven't seen one in years, since i live in WA right now. Thanks for confirming my guess, Dan!

RecycledAgain · #8 10-06-2009, 11:27 PM

After 2004 hurricanes , it was almost weird. I had them all over the place .. Now I have just one buy the pool in the jasmine.

Dan

froggsong · #9 10-06-2009, 11:33 PM

My aunt works out at one of the Kiawah golf courses in SC, and every year there is a colony of these guys. They will build their webs all near each other, and one will be huge, and when that one dies, the one in the web behind it will start to get huge. It's really quite interesting.

darc · #10 10-07-2009, 01:18 AM

Yeah, I've always heard them called "yellow garden spiders" around here - but someone above mentioned "golden orb weaver" which I've heard before too (but not looked up to see if its the same thing).

Never heard the "banana spider" name before.
-darc