More spider pictures

[mmcirvin]

The sun glint on the web really makes this one:



Seen from the back (the lighting wasn't great from that angle). The bone-like markings certainly give it extra awesomeness:



These big garden spiders are pretty common around here. It was hanging out on the edge of a gigantic spiral web that it had built between some bushes.

Comments

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

I tried to figure out what species this spider is. Apparently narrowing it down that precisely is usually done by looking at their genitals with a microscope, but I think it's pretty definitely a member of the orb-weaver genus Araneus (http://www.volny.cz/alspiders/main_araneidae.html), probably Araneus diadematus (http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Araneus_diadematus.html) or a closely related species.

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

...And I probably shouldn't be calling it a "garden spider", since Googling that name mostly brings up information about spiders of the genus Argiope (http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/pictures/Argiope.html), which have a different body shape and like to rest with their legs paired in an X pattern; there's a very pretty black-and-yellow variety that I don't think we see around here.

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

Well, OK, this page (http://www.nwspiders.org/araneus.diadematus.html) refers to A. diadematus as a "European garden spider", though in fact they live in North America too. Based on those pictures I'd say I've pretty definitely got a female Araneus diadematus here, though it's a slightly different color variant.

Definitely

[acw.livejournal.com]

Absolutely, definitely a female Araneus diadematus. There is a lot of color variation, but we get ones that look just like this in Belmont just south of you.

I love those dark stepped trapezoids. Such elegant creatures, and their webs are awe-inspiring.

[jarai.livejournal.com]

Based on those pictures I'd say I've pretty definitely got a female Araneus diadematus here, though it's a slightly different color variant.

Yes, BUT WHAT IS HER NAME?!

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

...They are also called "cross spiders" because of the marks on their backs; on this one the crossbar is relatively faint, but sometimes it is more pronounced.

[sanspoof.livejournal.com]

Pretty fancy macroin', sir!

[(Anonymous)]

The pictures are pretty cool, but I REALLY DON'T LIKE SPIDERS. I let out an Ugh! when I saw the picture. Yet, I had to check out the second one below (or the first picture you took). I guess I like to torture myself.

spider

[(Anonymous)]

I live in Toronto Canada and found this spider in my basement not knowing what it was i caought it and put it in a container a and fond out what it was thru u guys so thamx alot and how many eggs can they have because this thing was in my basment if you could drop by my web page and give me som info on my blog that would be great thanx