The first creature that caught my eye on the first day of 2019 and caused me to pick up my camera, was this garden orb spider. Its complex round web was strung across the vertical spikes of a Common Rush (Juncus effusus) next to our garden pond.
Garden orb spiders (Argiope) occur across the world, including in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. There are many species in this genus, and I was not able to pinpoint which species this very beautiful garden orb spider is.
This female garden orb-weaving spider has banded colours on her legs that sport delicate sensory hairs. The abdomen is beautifully marked. Spiders have multiple eyes rather than the compound eyes of insects and they have no antennae but have obvious palps that are used when feeding, and used during reproduction in males.
This female garden orb spider waits in the centre of her web ready to attend to any prey that may get caught in the web.
In the photo above, the spider is moving away from the centre in response to a disturbance in the web, but in this instance the potential prey flew off without getting caught and the spider returned to the centre of the web where she spends most of her time waiting.
May orb spiders eat the central part of the web at night and rebuild that section of web again each morning.
This wasp did not manage to escape the web. The spider bites prey items and envelopes them in silk to immobilise them, and usually returns later to eat them.
In the above photo the spider is eating a bug that previously she had bitten and wrapped in silk when it got stuck in the web. The venom she injects into a victim immobilises it. Prior to eating, the spider injects digestive fluid that includes enzymes that liquefy the insides of the prey animal, which the spider eats by sucking the liquid into her stomach.
Many spiders that weave circular (orb) webs include zigzags of thick silk known as stabilimenta. Two vertical zigzags can be seen in the web in the above photograph. It is speculated that stabilimenta serve several functions, which might include providing camouflage or distraction from the spider in the centre of the web, serving as a warning to birds not to fly into the web (and break the web), attracting insects to fly into the web as the stabilimenta reflect ultraviolet light, and also making stabilimenta may be a way of depositing surplus silk and/or stimulating the production of more silk.
Most spiders are harmless to people and should, where possible, be left undisturbed. The intricacy and engineering of the webs are worthy of our admiration. Most spiders benefit gardeners by eating many insects and other creatures that gardeners may consider to be pests. In any event, I found this spider to be an elegant and decorative presence in the garden, albeit surprisingly easy to overlook.
Sources:
Cates, Jerry. [n.d.] The Stabilimentum: And some notions concerning its function. http://www.bugsinthenews.com/stabilimentum_and_some_notions_on%20function.htm; Orb-weaver spider. [n.d.] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orb-weaver_spider
Posted by Carol
March 1, 2020 at 6:26 am
We had a Garden Orb Weaver living and feeding, building her web each evening , outside our living room door. She started out tiny and we watched her grow for year. We named her Whoa, based on our initial reaction when we saw her. She became our resident spider, and we loved having her around and seeing her catch and feed. It was amazing. She eventually laid eggs and dissapeared shorly after they hatched. We never saw her again. Needless to say, it was a sad day for hubby and I!
I remember the one day, came home and my helper had noticed the was laying on the ground, she picked her up, put her back in the wall pot underneath where she used to make her web, and she carried on making her web as she did every day. Not sure how she ended up in the floor, but I believe my helper saved her that day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 6, 2020 at 7:56 pm
It must have been a sad day when your resident spider disappeared but great that she lived long enough to hatch the babies and also fortunate that previous to that she was rescued by your helper and returned to safety. It is touching that we can form attachments to tiny forms of life including such remarkable spiders.
LikeLike
April 24, 2020 at 5:15 pm
Saw my first ( I think) Garden Orb yesterday. Took a picture because I had never seen the “zipper” web before. So fascinating and beautiful. This is in the Florida Keys.
LikeLiked by 1 person
April 24, 2020 at 7:48 pm
Those “zippers” make the webs even more fascinating!
LikeLike
January 25, 2019 at 4:56 pm
A beautifully illustrated post with your usual attention to detail. Much as I like spiders, I’m glad they don’t come as super-sized as your close-up shots!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 26, 2019 at 5:34 am
Thanks Theresa. Sadly, since I posted this the spider disappeared from the web.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 13, 2019 at 10:11 pm
Amazing post, friend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 14, 2019 at 8:40 pm
Thanks very much.
LikeLike
January 12, 2019 at 11:47 am
Spider fan over here! 🙂 What a beautiful creature. Unusual shaped abdomen. I used to see a different species of golden orb-weaver when I was collecting data on jaguars in Mexico and they’re certainly one of those species that add a distinct touch to local biodiversity.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 12, 2019 at 12:54 pm
Great to meet a spider fan – spiders probably need all the friends they can get! We also see golden orb-web spiders here, though they seem not to be as common as they were.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 8, 2019 at 9:29 am
Dear Carol, such a treat, beautiful photos and wonderful information of a most beautiful spider, thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 9, 2019 at 9:06 am
Thanks Christeen. I love it that spiders are appreciated by so many 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 7, 2019 at 1:26 am
Wow, what a beauty! I love our our yellow and black garden spiders – they also weave that ‘zipper’ into their web. Must be their signature. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 8, 2019 at 6:03 am
Thanks Eliza. I saw yesterday that the spider has expanded her ‘zipper’ into an ‘X’.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 6, 2019 at 6:08 am
Great photos. This is very similar to the Hawaiian garden spider (Argiope appensa) that is common around here. The webs have the same structure too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 8, 2019 at 6:01 am
Thanks. It is interesting how cosmopolitan this genus of spiders is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 5, 2019 at 11:48 am
Elegant spider. Love the photos.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 8, 2019 at 5:50 am
Thanks so much Sherry.
LikeLike
January 5, 2019 at 4:22 am
What a way to start off the new year! The webs are utterly amazing. We generally try to escort any spiders visiting in the house, but like having them outside. Their webs can be quite exquisite, though I’ve also seen some sloppy ones. You’ve outdone yourself with these beautiful captures.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 8, 2019 at 5:47 am
Thank you Gunta. It’s not often we notice globe-web spiders around so its nice to have one in residence.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 8, 2019 at 4:12 pm
Somewhat like our resident hummingbird? 😏
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 9, 2019 at 9:08 am
Now that is not a comparison I would have thought of making! 🙂
LikeLike
January 9, 2019 at 9:50 pm
It later occurred to me that the hummingbirds make their nests out of spider webs (at least in part). Perhaps that was what prompted the comparison?
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 10, 2019 at 2:03 pm
🙂
LikeLike
January 5, 2019 at 3:45 am
I am currently preparing a post on the golden orb-web spiders, Carol, so I read this article of yours with even more interest than usual (if that’s even possible!?). I really do appreciate the effort you put into these and I can’t wait to see what you’ll be featuring every week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 7, 2019 at 10:49 am
I look forward to your post on the golden orbs.
And thanks, I kind of look forward to what I will be featuring too as what I decide to do is generally a snap (just noticed the pun :)) decision! I enjoy learning more as I prepare each post (though sometimes I do get a bit obsessive about an obscure detail or go off on interesting tangents and have to get back on track) and I really value your comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 5, 2019 at 3:20 am
An interesting post. You make me realise that I haven’t seen an orb spider in my garden for a year or two now. I wonder if the prolonged drought has led to a drop in insect numbers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 7, 2019 at 10:41 am
Thanks Anne. We used to find many more golden orb spiders in our area years back and their numbers have definitely declined. The apparent decline in insect numbers generally for whatever reason(s) are likely related. I should think the drought must have made an enormous impact. I do so hope your area has improved prospects for rain soon …
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 5, 2019 at 12:16 am
Fantastic shots of this striking spider!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 7, 2019 at 10:34 am
Thanks Sandy, yes it is striking, and is still in its web today 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 5, 2019 at 12:04 am
Interesting post and beautiful photos.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 7, 2019 at 10:34 am
Thanks Belinda. Not everybody likes spiders, and I am happy that you appreciate them too 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 4, 2019 at 8:11 pm
Lovely photos Carol. As you say, they are impossible to identify to species level (i.e. distinguish between A. flavipalpis and A. levii) without examination of the epigynum, so Argiope sp. it must be 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 4, 2019 at 8:43 pm
Thank you Paul. And thanks also for the possible shortlist of A. flavipalpis and A. levii – I was not able to get that far. Thanks too for first drawing my attention to the stabilimentum a few posts ago.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 4, 2019 at 7:03 pm
Smashing find, Carol and a beautiful set of images.
Oh, and Happy New Year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 4, 2019 at 7:49 pm
Thanks so much Ark, and best wishes for a Happy New Year to you too,
LikeLike
January 4, 2019 at 6:20 pm
Beautiful. Fascinating.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 4, 2019 at 7:37 pm
Thanks Margaret. I hope though it doesn’t freak out anyone with arachnophobia!
LikeLike