Argiope aurantia

[invertebrateguy]

Some orbweavers I found

 

[darkness975]

I wish they lived longer.

 

[invertebrateguy]

I wish they lived longer.

I have kept a cross orbweaver inside over the winter so it seems they live longer if you bring them inside

 

[darkness975]

I have kept a cross orbweaver inside over the winter so it seems they live longer if you bring them inside

If I had enough room I would try keeping one inside. They need such massive spaces for proper webs though.

 

[The Snark]

If I had enough room I would try keeping one inside. They need such massive spaces for proper webs though.

I'm blaming it on a species psychosis. A rose garden next to a restaurant, 20 foot by 30 or so. Used to sit on the wall and watch them. Huge webs integrating the entire garden. Some sleuthing revealed four spiders. Several other locations in that town were also graced by them, always the same, an orb up to 2 feet across but usually less huge guy line arrays that made no sense at all. Very often as large as Nephila.
I wish somebody could explain this.

 

[darkness975]

I'm blaming it on a species psychosis. A rose garden next to a restaurant, 20 foot by 30 or so. Used to sit on the wall and watch them. Huge webs integrating the entire garden. Some sleuthing revealed four spiders. Several other locations in that town were also graced by them, always the same, an orb up to 2 feet across but usually less huge guy line arrays that made no sense at all. Very often as large as Nephila.
I wish somebody could explain this.

Had an Araneus spp. Drop right in front of my face the other day suspended from a power line at least 100 feet in the air.

 

[The Snark]

Drop right in front of my face the other day suspended from a power line at least 100 feet in the air.

I've watched them put up the guy lines, sometimes dropping all the way to the ground and walking. Observed a complete Nephy web build in about 4 hours. But these sporks take it to extreme limits, and don't maintain just one plane but may or often create 3D triangular guy line structures which can require talking quite a few extra strolls on the ground.