Once the spider lays this anchor strand, she then lays a series of additional strands in the form of the spokes of a wheel, all emanating from a single hub. In order to do that she must bridge the gap. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Western spotted orb weaver snares and wraps a honey bee. The legs of the spider may be red or yellow and they have black bands near the feet. Image of animal, brown, hunter - 15803383 The spider sits in the center of the web upside down, waiting for insects. united states, neoscona oaxacensis, orb weaver, western, orb, spotted… She is fascinated by them. I looked at those horrible-looking large spiders, sometimes three or four to a web, stretched between most of the sagebrush bushes and it chilled any desire I had to walk through the sagebrush. A Pearl Crescent butterfly was much smaller. Orb weavers’ webs are elaborate constructions and engineering marvels. When the web is complete the spider retreats to the center by walking along the spokes, where she hangs upside down and waits. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) The spider's spots are visible in this photo. A western spotted orb weaver, Neoscona oaxacensis, finishing its web. If she survives she will grow to a radius of about an inch. Females are about twice the size of males. ( Log Out /  The spotted western orb weaver Neoscona oaxacensis lives in the southwestern United States. This spider was about 2/3 the size of my smallest fingernail. Western spotted orb weaver snares and wraps a honey bee. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I’m a big fan of spiders and I try to photograph them as often as possible when conditions are right. As its name suggests, it spins webs and has spots, although you have to get pretty close to see them in some cases. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Western spotted orb weaver patrolling its web. Each of these strands is non-sticky but very strong. Once that edifice is created the spider methodically lays down lateral strands of very sticky silk, each strand bridging the gap between two spokes. When an insect — including insects as large as bees and wasps — become entrapped, the spider races down one of the web’s spokes, delivers a lethal venomous bite to the insect that paralyzes it almost instantly, and then, enshrouds it with silk. Western Spotted Orb Weaver Spider - Neoscona oaxacensis, A Western Spotted Orbweaver Spider, Neoscona oaxacensis, Western Gull with Two Spotted Chicks on a Nest, Hemorrhois ravergieri, the spotted whip snake, Hypericum maculatum - spotted St. Johnswort, Phyllorhiza punctata or white spotted jellyfish, Kangaroo in the Outback of Western Australia, Accettiamo tutte le più importanti carte di credito Italiane. Change ). The spotted western orb weaver Neoscona oaxacensis lives in the southwestern United States. Learn how your comment data is processed. As we crossed the causeway to the island I stopped to look at some Franklin's gulls and the girls' eyes focused on large spiders suspended between sagebrush bushes on large webs. Copyright © 2000-2020 Dreamstime. ( Log Out /  As its name suggests, it spins webs and has spots, although you have to get pretty close to see them in some cases. They are a huge asset because they kill and eat vast numbers of flies and mosquitoes. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) She was surprised. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. I love that our granddaughters were looking at spiders while you were looking at birds. If you enlarge this image the hairs are clearly visible as spiky projections from her legs. The abdomen is brown with yellow speckles on the side. Image made with a Canon 5DS-R, 180mm f3.5 L Macro Lens, illuminated by Canon Ringlight, stabilized by tripod, M setting, ISO 100, f18 @ 1/160. The other day I identified a Western Spotted Orb Weaver ensconced in her web in our back yard. The Giant Swallowtail butterfly (its wings the worse for wear) had flitted off the flower and was drinking water from the sprinkler. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) The spider's spots are visible in this photo. She pulled out her phone and connected to inaturalist and identified the spiders as. ( Log Out /  The legs of the spider may be red or yellow and they have black bands near the feet. But even immature, she displays the classic appearance of her species: banded legs and a yellow-cream abdomen with intricate markings on it. We can learn a thing or two from them! The western spotted orb weaver spins a circular web in open areas with sparse vegetation. That, she accomplishes by anchoring the strand at one end and lengthening it as gravity and wind carry her to the opposing branch. Summer in Arizona is the time of year when spiders begin to show themselves in numbers. In our community these spiders seem to be ubiquitous in late summer and fall. You may enlarge any image in this blog by clicking on it. Click again for a detailed view. ( Log Out /  Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. COMMON NAME: Western Spotted Orb Weaver SCIENTIFIC NAME: Neoscona oaxacensis 2 minutes left on my break, found this guy, hand holding my G12 at arm's length over a bush to get this shot, slight breeze, he's hanging by two threads and swinging around, and it starts raining!!!! (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Note the round or globular abdomen on this western spotted orb weaver. As their name implies, Western Spotted Orb Weavers are inhabitants of the western United States. While I took photos of the gulls, the girls went gaga over the spiders, looking at them and photographing them. The spider knows instantly when something blunders into her web. The coming of our annual monsoon rains (we had a brief precursor shower yesterday afternoon) stimulates invertebrate activity and I’m looking forward to photographing spiders and other invertebrates frequently in days to come. The spider has hair-like sense organs on each of her legs that are exquisitely sensitive to the slightest vibration. The other day I identified a Western Spotted Orb Weaver ensconced in her web in our back yard. The spiders were everywhere. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Western spotted orb weaver patrolling its web. I'm not usually into insects and spiders, but I was with two of my granddaughters last Monday, known on-line as Squirrel and Bug, and we visited Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake. This lovely Western Spotted Orb weaver Spider off my patio. (Click and you can see droplets of water on its eye, back, and wings.) The western spotted orb weaver spins a circular web in open areas with sparse vegetation. Photo about A macro photo of a spider native to Arizona called a Western Spotted Orb Weaver. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. All rights reserved. The spider can then dine leisurely on the victim. The abdomen is brown with yellow speckles on the side. On a summer evening, equipped with a flashlight, I can spot literally dozens of these spiders on a short walk. Good for them! The individual that I identified was doubtlessly immature: members of this species reach their full adult size in our community in late August and September.