Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Spider!

The famous Porch at Roseholme Cottage is usually home to what I call "Frank Lloyd Wright moths." At rest, their furled wings are covered in a pattern of black-outlined pastels, rectangles of white, yellow, peach and pale green.

I've not seen as many this year -- and now I think I know why: "You are what you eat?" This spider -- and another like it, only smaller -- has set up shop in the hostas just off the Porch.

Too small to photograph really well with my Brownie (maybe 3/8" from front legs to rear legs), this critter has very much the same pattern on her abdomen in white and yellow, outlined in black, and has bright green legs. I doubt the moths are fooled.

(It appears the spider's actual prey are flies -- there's a snack all wrapped up for later just outside the frame. You get 'em, spider!)
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2 comments:

  1. LabRatMay 29, 2012 at 2:40 PM

    I really wonder what that is. The body and web say "some sort of orb weaver", but I have never seen one colored like that.

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  2. Roberta XMay 30, 2012 at 6:20 AM

    They're new to me. The green legs are nearly transparent! Abdomen shaped about like a Tic-Tac. Web is nearly horizontal and often tattered. They don't do the bright-white zigzag (or other pattern) many orb weavers do.

    The commonest orb weaver around here is black, white and yellow. They grow quite large and spin vertical webs, which they are quite fussy about keeping neat.

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