Ancestors

Toot

Written by mrv on 2024-10-04 at 23:35

hired the local militia to protect my veggies 🥰 it's kinda cute

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Descendants

Written by mrv on 2024-10-06 at 16:03

@vwbusguy notice the white zigzack line? it’s called stabilimentum, according to wikipedia its purpose is unknown, there are a bunch of theories: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stabilimentum

I actually observed how the spider wrapped up its prey in it. It seems that it’s kind of a silk depot so the spider doesn’t have to produce on the spot when something flies into the net.

I could not find this explanation anywhere 🤔

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Written by Scott Williams 🐧 on 2024-10-04 at 23:39

@mrv Cool orb weaver!

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Written by mrv on 2024-10-04 at 23:41

@vwbusguy no expert but I thought it was a wasp spider?!

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Written by Scott Williams 🐧 on 2024-10-04 at 23:43

@mrv I am also no expert and you might be right. Do not trust me on this. 😅

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Written by Scott Williams 🐧 on 2024-10-04 at 23:44

@mrv We're both right! A wasp spider is a kind of orb weaver.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argiope_bruennichi

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Written by mrv on 2024-10-04 at 23:52

@vwbusguy ha, glad you could solve our conundrum 😂 I have entered the rabbit hole https://www.nature.com/articles/srep31265

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Written by Scott Williams 🐧 on 2024-10-05 at 16:33

@mrv Found this industrious little orb weaver lady on our back porch this morning.

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Written by mrv on 2024-10-06 at 15:41

@vwbusguy soo tiny, looks like it’s freezing 🥶

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Written by Scott Williams 🐧 on 2024-10-06 at 15:51

@mrv Nah, it was hazy that morning, but this is definitely a warm climate area here in So Cal. When it gets much hotter, we have more brown widows than orb weavers. I very much prefer orb weavers to brown widows.

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Written by Scott Williams 🐧 on 2024-10-06 at 16:25

@mrv

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Neoscona_crucifera&wprov=rarw1

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Written by Scott Williams 🐧 on 2024-10-06 at 16:17

@mrv I've seen orb weavers here do something like that on a much smaller scale. When they have the first structural strings, they'll sometimes deposit a bunch of silk just above the center point and seem to draw from it as they go around in a circle to fill in the web, but I haven't seen it left once the web is built and it's hanging out in the center of it waiting for prey. The ones here do such a good job of web building that is often hard to see the web until you've walked face first into it.

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Written by Scott Williams 🐧 on 2024-10-06 at 16:19

@mrv Apparently, some So Cal orb weavers do this, too, but not the ones around our house 😅.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argiope_argentata

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