I walked by the patio door and did a double take. I was hoping I really didn’t see it but there it was, nicely stretched out on it’s web. I began making noises of terror and did my over dramatic breathing while holding my heart. I walked slowly away from the door holding my breath as I went to tell the kids what I saw. My daughter says calmly,

We already know mom.

I said why didn’t anyone tell me this massive spider was out there? Then my daughter replies,

Because we knew you would react this way.

😏

My kids know me well. I talk a big talk about wanting to garden and build a homestead but I’m not sure if I would survive the creatures I come in contact with. I am so terrified of bugs and insects that can do harm.

This spider is quite the looker though. You notice the bright yellow spots and the two toned legs at first glance. Although it seemed to be minding its own and not worried about all the clatter we were making, I needed to check if it was poisonous. This led us to another nature lesson right outside our door.

Yellow Garden Spider

The spider species Argiope aurantia has several names; yellow garden spider, black and yellow garden spider, golden garden spider, writing spider, zigzag spider, hay spider, corn spider, or McKinley spider. These spiders produce venom that is harmless to humans, but helps to immobilize prey. They are not aggressive and will only bite if they feel threatened. Their bite feels equivalent to a bumblebee’s sting.

When you see one of these spiders you will notice a distinctive zig zag pattern in the center of the web like the one in the above photo. This zig zag serves a few purposes:

1. It helps conceal the spider from other predators.
2. It allows birds in flight to see the web before they fly straight into it and mess up all that hard work the spider did.
3. It is a false target for insects to land on. They may think it’s another stem or twig in the meadow.

They keep their webs clean and free of debris. In a nightly ritual, the spider consumes the circular interior part of the web and then rebuilds it each morning with fresh new silk. The fine threads that she consumes appear to have tiny particles of what may be minuscule insects and organic matter that may contain nutrition. That sounds like a sophisticated spider to me. 😁

One of their favorite foods to feast on are grasshoppers because they make a pretty hefty meal. If the spider is disturbed she will quickly drop to the ground and hide or she will oscillate her web vigorously while remaining firmly attached in the center. This makes it more difficult to see her and may make her appear larger than she really is.

Notice how I am referring to this spider as a she. The female spiders make these massive webs while the male spiders make smaller webs next to the female or even within her web. When you see one alone in a web it’s most likely a female. Also, the males are smaller and less striking in appearance with brownish legs and less yellow coloration on their abdomens.

Now this next part was funny to me. The males court the females by plucking on her web but they are smart in doing so. Just in case the female attacks him, he already has a drop line ready to get away. 😄 Smart fella! Especially since these female spiders can range up to three times larger than males.

The sad part we learned was after mating the male dies and is sometimes eaten by the female. My kids did not like this part and talked about how unfair that was. I explained that every species is different and has it’s own way of life. Even though this situation seems unfortunate everything was created and designed for a reason and has a particular purpose.

Thank you for joining our nature lesson today! I hope you enjoyed and learned something new!

Adventure and Learning is all around us. All we have to do is look at nature to be enlightened and amazed.

@crosheille ~

All photos are my own and were taken with our Cannon EOS Rebel T6.

source 1

source 2

Logo/Banner created by @rigaronib!