The Garden Orb Weaver
When the sun is setting and the evening is easing in, the Garden Orb Weaver comes to life. You see there handiwork often enough and in fact, the Garden Orb Weaver and its web was even made into one of the most famous children’s stories of all time; Charlotte’s Web.
An interesting thing about the Garden Orb Weaver is that the first web they make is always their most perfect web. Every time the web is broken down and they need to replace it, there will be more flaws in its design. I am not sure if that shoots holes in the old adage, “practice makes perfect”, or if this is proof that Garden Orb Weavers can become frustrated.
Another interesting note about the Orb Weaver, is that when they rest in the center of their web, they will always position themselves facing the ground.
Breaking the web will not get rid of these spiders as they will often rebuild the web in the same place within a few days. If you do not wish to kill them and need them moved, use a long stick and break the web between it and its hiding place to stop its retreat. Then twirl the stick around in the web and try to get the web and the spider on the end of the stick. As they are not fast walking spiders when on in their web, you should have time to carry it to another location and knock it off the stick.
Eye Pattern
The Orb Weaver has two horizontal rows of eyes, giving them eight eyes total. However, the outer eyes on each side are butted right up against each other, giving them the appearance of only 6 eyes.
Bite Info
Orb Weavers are timid spiders. They are not prone to biting and will always prefer to run away from larger foe rather than stay and fight. For that reason, and the fact that they do not hunt their food, so they stay in their webs, it is uncommon to be bit by one. If you happen to be bit however, there is nothing to worry about.
The bite of an Orb Weaver will usually cause minor localized swelling and itchiness that will fade on its own. Only on a rare bite will someone have a reaction that will cause slight nausea, and even that is nothing to worry about.
Web
The Garden Orb Weaver spins one of the most intricate webs you will find, forming a large round net that is meant for catching flying insects. These sticky nets are held tight by support lines attached to objects around them. Break one of these lines, and the spider may come out and reattach the line or create a new line to support the web.
Often, when the Orb Weaver is not resting in the center of its web, it will be hiding somewhere nearby, with a line attached to the web that it holds onto. If something should get caught in the web, it will feel the vibration through that single strand and come out to get its dinner.
Some species of Orb Weavers have been known to consume their webs in the mornings and spin them again in the evenings.
The Species and their common names
(The names and pictures below will be changed into links as I add their pages.)
Araneus diadematus – (Cross Spider)
Araneus marmoreus – (Marbled Orb Weaver)
Araneus trifolium – (Shamrock Spider / Pumpkin Spider)
Lariniodes cornutus – (Furrow Spider)
Leucauge venusta – (Orchard Orb Weaver)
Neoscona crucifera – (Spotted Orb Weaver)
(More species will be added as I come across them.)