late orb

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Another late-season find: an orb-weaver's woven orb. Let's hope it catches a meal after all this work but if it does, it could be one of its last. Most adult spiders die before winter arrives.

It is estimated that there are over 10,000 species of orb-weaving spiders worldwide. Just think about it Rikki, ten thousand creatures that can create these beautiful macramé nets that, in truth, only last but a few hours. Strong yet ethereal. Most of these eight-legged, eight-eyed weavers eat their webs at the end of day—it's pure protein, so why not?— and then reweave another one in usually the same location. That is, we assume, if it proved to be an opportunistic site.

By redoing it every day, the web stays free of detritus and the sticky strands stay tacky. To quote the Bard, it’s almost, “Too flattering-sweet to be substantial,” as light and airy as Romeo’s nighttime dream. Yet for a flying insect, it's a viscous nightmare.

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eight-eyed

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Eight eyes. I wonder what the world looks like through eight eyes. If we can see three dimensions with our two eyes, can they see more? Can they see the fifth dimension that TV's Rod Serling wrote about? That "middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition."

I wonder what that middle ground looks like?

The photo is of a large semi-aquatic fishing spider in the genus Dolomedes, also known as raft spiders because they can scurry across the surface of the water without getting wet. There are several species, many have a striking pale stripe down each side of the body.

Fishing spiders hunt by waiting at the edge of a pond or stream. They use the water instead of a web. When they detect ripples from prey, they scamper across the surface to subdue it using their front legs, which are tipped with small claws. Like other spiders they inject venom with their hollow jaws to kill and digest their meal. They mainly eat insects, but some larger species are able to catch small fish. They can also climb down plants to go beneath the water, encased in a film of air in search for food.

The above spider was found near the pond in front of the Visitor Center at Ijams. Thanks, Ryan.

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