an orb weaver.
the first time i noticed one like this, was about a year ago.
she was on the front porch...in the same area as this one.
she was much bigger than the one who spins her web out there now.
these Orb Weavers are nocturnal.
the ones usually seen are females. they have bigger, rounder bodies.
 |
| top side |
 |
| under side |
she waits...night after night...not just for a meal...but for a male too.
the males are smaller, and their main purpose in life is to seek out a mate.
then, after mating, he will likely become her next meal. poor guy.
she spins her web after dark...consumes it around dawn...hides all day...
and then repeats her web making the next night.
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| consuming her web... |
 |
| getting ready to retreat into the wind chime's bell... |
she will lay a large clutch of eggs. die at first frost. her babies will hatch in the spring.
Orb Weavers live approx. 1 - 2 years.
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| and there she goes...into the bell...until dusk. |
the following is a video i saw on one of the blog's i read. cindy's blog: Bug Safari.
this is an unbelievable, amazing 5 minute MACRO 3D video.
not for the squeamish...or arachnophobes!
a successful catch.
Spider Catches Moth.
go to YouTube for LARGER version!
((just in case...when i publish this...the movie doesn't work, here's the link:))
oOo
i've had this picture of an email since before halloween.
since today's post is a spidery post...
i thought i should get this on here before too much more time passes.
i really felt sorry for Florida State Parks.
can you imagine how many people this email went to??
of course 'spell check' wouldn't fix this one...
because LOOSE IS A WORD.
just not the correct word for this sentence.
i don't think the state parks are on the loose...running around.
i think they are fearful of not enough money coming in...to keep things going...
and florida might LOSE some of their parks.
oOo
well, for many...today is the Thanksgiving celebration.
sam & i don't really 'celebrate'.
it's just us.
but since the stores are overloaded with turkeys...we always pick one up.
(well, we don't just pick it up to see what the dead weight of a turkey feels like...)
we buy one.
sam deep fries it. always.
 |
| a turkey from the past... |
ONE YEAR...
if we should ever have company...
i plan to give sam a break, and roast one to look like this...
(update! the boys...justin & travis are on their way up for a visit!
but it's too late for me to do one in that bikini. maybe next year!)
have a nice day.
if you're here in the states...enjoy the long weekend!
have a safe journey & enjoy the ride.
laura
for more spider or orb weaver info:
Cool Orb spider and great photos. Your post are always a treat. I hope you and your Sam have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your fried Turkey.
ReplyDeleteHi Laura...I am not a spider person eeeeks....hahaha don't know why just on of those things I guess!!
ReplyDeleteLove the bikini clad turkey...when you cook that one you better post it ...hahaha!!
Have a great weekend!!
Grace
love your orb weaver. i like the bells she hides in. :)
ReplyDeleteenjoy your deep-fried feast today!! blessings!
Oooo, a creepy crawly Thanksgiving to you, to! LOL! The pictures of the real spider were creepier to me than the video. Only because the video was so much more abstract. Your spider is real and lives on your porch. Now that's enough to give me the shudders. She's smart, though. The bell is a perfect place to spend her days. Easy to defend. Solid. Short walk to work.
ReplyDeleteIt's just Karma and I, so no big deal over here, either. Just hanging out being thankful. Glad we met this year, lady!! Enjoy your turkey. :):)
She's beautiful! I didn't know they rebuilt their webs every night, seems like a lot of work, no wonder she has to eat her boyfriend!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your day!
Wonderful shots of this spider! They are such incredible little creatures & you gave us a peek into their hidden world. OH - and I beg to differ that you & Sam don't "celebrate" Thanksgiving - I've eaten those deep-fried turkeys & they are to die for. No small amount of effort goes into them, either. We just enjoy a quiet day with good food here, also. Have a good, relaxing day, my friend!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the information and photos of the spider. It is interesting to know how they live. How weird they must think we are for not eating up our spouses.
ReplyDeleteWow! Love that turkey in bikini!
Hey, happy Thanksgiving Laura! That fried turkey looks fabulous! But most of all I love those photos of the spider -- such fascinating critters. Makes me think of how mysterious our planet really is -- life goes on on so many different levels, oblivious to us and our foibles.
ReplyDeletehope you had a great day!
I totally love th first photo of the spider in the web. Great series of photos!
ReplyDeleteWish I had 1/1000 of your vitality..
ReplyDeleteWhat patience to study a spider.
Yes, you do walk a different walk.
Yes,I never killed a spider in my life and very proud of it.
How can you kill such an industrious critter that EATS MOSQUITOS!
Keep walking the walk, we need it.
THANKS for stopping by everyone!! i'm happy to know that no one walked 'face first' into the web!!
ReplyDeleteand in case you get 'comment updates'...justin & travis DID end up coming for a visit! last minute decision, they took the day off work, drove up, pigged out on turkey & mustard greens...we had some great much needed time together...then hit the road for the 4 hour drive back to their job site! :)
I'm such a spider nut that I really enjoyed the photos of the lady weaving (and unweaving) her web. These orb weavers fascinate me. We usually have one or two on the front porch and always try to find their daytime hiding places. One year one of them made use of one of the tubes of a wind chime.
ReplyDeleteThe bikini turkey is a hoot. Love it! Hope you had a great day. Happy belated Thanksgiving.
Haahah! Love your bikini turkey, hope the naked one was good-fried! I enjoy fried turkey, but didn't get any this year. We had smoked and roasted, but it was very good!
ReplyDelete...I don't care for spiders, but, your info was very good, couldn't breeze over it-I can't believe the female makes the web at nite, then it's gone, (did you say devour?) and she does this every nite? And she dies before the eggs hatch? What do the babies do then?
...cool find on the misspelled sign. It is sad to worry about the parks-I think we need them!
...Happy weekend Laura
The spider video is GREAT - glad you had company after all for the big T day!
ReplyDeleteI have so enjoyed this informative and amusing post and I'm laughing still. I hope you, Sam and your sons had a WONDERFUL weekend together!
ReplyDeleteOh, I see Justin & Travis only came for the day...but it sounds as though you had a good visit, even though it was so short.
ReplyDeletePoor future daddy to be for sure...if only he knew, right! Marvelous photos uou captured weaving her ever so closer to us...and that video is amazing...the music really adds to it all as well! The turkey deep fried made me chuckle, our evening news put a brief show on the do's and don'ts of cooking one like that...they should have shown one with tan lines too though...that is really quite funny, and such a great imagination !!!
ReplyDeletelovely bells and webs! I want to sit on your porch and see what you see!
ReplyDeleteGreat post--I had no idea they consumed their web!
ReplyDeleteHow fun you had surprise visit-glad you enjoyed yourselves. I guess the Universe knew what it was doing with no campsites-lol!
Hope you have a great week!
xx
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeautiful spider, its making a web bell, lol. Brilliant images.
ReplyDeletethanks again....for all who not only wandered through but took time to leaver a note!!
ReplyDeletelet's see...who asked what?
susan...yep! she eats that web...and then does it all again at night. well, it's been COLD the past couple of nights, she hasn't come out...so i'm glad i got the pic's when i did! i guess as far as the babies...if they don't get eaten by lizards and such...they're on their own! survival of the fittest...or the smartest!??
hmmmm, i guess that's it for questions! and, yes, we DID camp in the backyard!!
thanks again everybody!! :)