SPIDER! For Danthebugman!

[itsme_timd]

A little off topic fun for Sunday.

This guy built his web across my patio door. I could stand close and watch him without scaring him... and also without the fear of him jumping on my face and making me scream like a 12 year old girl.

For the past 3 nights he's built this web in the doorway and when I get up in the morning it's gone, then he rebuilds it at night - pretty cool. While I was watching him a gnat flew into his web, quick as lightning he ran down and wrapped it up, if you've never seen the speed and precision that a spider uses when wrapping it's prey it's pretty darn cool. He didn't even sting him right away, just wrapped him up and walked back to the top of the web then a few minutes later he came back and poked him a bit then picked up his little sack lunch and carried it away. Pretty fascinating.

 

[Clint]

I am guessing....A wolf spider?

 

[tobii3]

oh Hell No.

That thing would have been Spider Flambe' courtesy of WD-40 and a lighter.

 

[itsme_timd]

I am guessing....A wolf spider?

That's what I was wondering, kind of looks like one.

 

[bdc30]

For the past 3 nights he's built this web in the doorway and when I get up in the morning it's gone, then he rebuilds it at night - pretty cool.

Now THAT is cool

 

[itsme_timd]

He's back again tonight, that's 4 days in a row he's built the web at night and taken it down by morning. I guess it's a good hunting spot.

 

[mhlatke]

I HATE big spiders! They freak me out.

 

[SkinsFanLarry]

Tim, that is a way cool pic my friend!

....is that the actual size?

 

[danthebugman]

Ah yes :grin:. Looks like perhaps a Spotted Orb Weaver (Neoscona crucifera), which is a pretty common spider. Around my parent's they would always build a large web in the archway over our front gate. When I'd leave for work in the mornings I would always get a face full of spider web, coffee's got nothing on an adrenaline rush like that :laugh:. For some reason I've always found them to be more abundant around this time of year :dunno:.

For those that guessed Wolf Spider, they don't build webs like that. They are ground hunting spiders and live in burrows. The females are often seen carrying egg cases or abdomens full of babies. They here's some pics of them...

I found on that looked exactly like the following pic in my dorm stairwell about a week before school started my junior year.

Put it in a 10 gallon aquarium and kept it for a good while before it finally died.

Cool pic man, thanks for sharing :thumbsup:.

Dan

 

[ciggy]

Your outta your freekin bloody mind!!! Spiders are the only thing on Gods green earth that scare the chit outta me. I get the heebs just thinking about them!! :nono:

 

[Lorax429]

Wolf Spiders burrow and they hunt their prey. They don't spin webs. I agree with Dan. Looks like an orb weaver. Based on your description of its behavior that fits too. A lot of orb weavers re-make their webs every night.

I'm no expert though. Just mildly fascinated by them...

 

[itsme_timd]

....is that the actual size?

He's about the size of a 50-cent piece when his legs are spread. He's big... but not hugemongous.

Ah yes :grin:. Looks like perhaps a Spotted Orb Weaver (Neoscona crucifera), which is a pretty common spider.

I believe you're right there, Dan. I googled a few pics and my guy definitely looks like a Spotted Orb Weaver. Here's another pic from his visit last night.

 

[SuperKrishna]

We have power lines that run from the power pole across the back yard and attach to the roof of our house. We've got a half dozen spiders with bodies the size of nickles and when they crouch on their webs, they are about the size of half dollars. They make webs from the power lines to the grass in the back yard, so about 12-15ft diameter webs. When I'm out smoking cigars, I'll catch bugs and throw them into their webs and watch those giants work. They are impressive. I don't think they are orb weavers, due to their large size, but they're probably closely related.

 

[swat253]

I wish my tenant-spiders would take their webs down every morning! I ride through one or two every time I mow and I itch the rest of the day thinkin that spider is somewhere on me! I try not to swear, but that always gets a MOTHER-#$@*#$ out of me!

Nice pic!

 

[itsme_timd]

I wish my tenant-spiders would take their webs down every morning! I ride through one or two every time I mow and I itch the rest of the day thinkin that spider is somewhere on me! I try not to swear, but that always gets a MOTHER-#$@*#$ out of me!

Nice pic!

Like this???

 

[swat253]

SPOT ON, TIM! :yes:

 

[ER Doc]

Awesome pictures, Tim.

I have a spider that keeps building a web on my mailbox (next to my front door). I keep wiping it away and it keeps showing back up. Spiders don't freak me out as much as snakes do - so I don't mind.

 

[Andytex]

Nice pics. Spider don't bother me at all. Whenever I come across one in the house I always take it outside. Now snakes will make me scream like a little girl. I can't even handle the gardeners in my back yard. I refuse to go out to the long grass.