A tiny creature, and new to me with those serious looking spikes, this Arrow-shaped Micrathena is only about 0.25 inches (6 mm) long.
A second one was in a more secretive spot in a plant.
The visible stabilimentum, the zigzagged strand of webbing, seen above the spider in the next image is how I happened to notice the spider as it waved in the afternoon breeze.
August 13, 2021
The spider from my post Daddy Long Legs and Friend traveled quite a distance in a small space over the few hours I checked on him.
He made repeated trips around this stem, occasionally showing me his entire leg structure.
I’m sure he had a purpose but it wasn’t obvious to me.
A second spider was attached to the porch screen a few feet away and didn’t appear to move even a smidge over several hours.
June 13, 2021
I was stalking a Daddy Long Legs on my patio when I spotted additional movement on his perch.
The spider had been all around the stem and leaves of this plant that I think is Melissa Balm; the debris to the the right of the Leaf-hopper is a dropped flower.
Whatever signal the Leafhopper was sending was lost on me and the spider. Maybe the signal was for the flower.
Actually these spiders seem to be everywhere right now. I’m fascinated by the size of their webs. They not only can span distances of many feet but they also have depth, with multiple layers.
I took these first two images from underneath the web. The larger spider is the female (about 2 inches / 5 cm across). I don’t know if the two smaller ones are both Orb Weaver males or intruders. The webs also catch small debris that happens to be floating by.
This last image was from further down the path. The overall structure of the web appears random, probably better to ensnare unsuspecting lunch.
The concentration of strands and zig-zap pattern made this little spider web stand out from the potted plants.
At a different angle I could see the spider through the web.
Look closely for a series of strands further out from the center, more easily seen between the plant leaves.
June 2018.
We are starting to see some spiders and big webs as we walk around the swamps. This web was several feet across with the fine gauge threads glistening in the sun.
I changed position but couldn’t closer due an abundance of poison ivy, something else that is thriving this spring.
My next image was just a few seconds later but focused on a slightly different spot which resulted in a different glisten on the web and background.
Quite a few of the Orb-Weaver Spiders have built their webs at an angle to the board walk headed to the swamp making side view photographs a possibility. It was fascinating to watch this one pluck a fly or bee from the web and then what seemed to be wrapping it in silk.
There were some other insects dangling from similar wrappings nearby. These spiders seem much larger than last summer’s crop, but that may be my imagination, or Ted’s, playing tricks on me.
We had been told by many locals last summer when we first started visiting the swamp that the Orb, aka Banana, Spiders were nothing to worry about. They seldom make their web across the trail and don’t jump onto humans. Sure enough, their season passed without incident, but I still don’t like to get too close.
This year’s batch is now very active building webs and it was interesting watching this female spinning her silk.
Back and forth, hanging upside down and pulling herself along very methodically, she added a new row to the top of this web.
The strands appeared to be different colors as the web swayed in the light.
In another web down the trail the smaller male and the female may have been getting ready to mate. The female eats the male when she is done with him. I didn’t stay to watch.
