I've lived at this house for 4 years now, but some days it still surprises me! I came across this little lady on my front deck. It's called the Yellow (and Black) Garden Spider. Easy to see given the colours. This female was about the size of a toonie. Average body size ranges from 3/4" to 1 1/4" but by the time you get the legs in there, they can reach the size of 3" in diameter. The spider is a member of the Orb Weaver family, and are often found at this time of year. You can find them around the eves of the house, but they are more common in the tall grass. It is common to southern Ontario, but this is the first one I've seen. One field book I checked stated that this spider is a common image used for Halloween, and that Charlotte from the book Charlotte's Web was a Yellow Garden Spider. When I checked back a few days later she was gone, most likely looking for a better place to lay her eggs. One neat thing about the babies is that in the spring when they leave the egg sack, they use a long strand of silk as a parachute of sorts to ride the wind away from where they were born.
Yis
Bear
2 comments:
I came across the exact same spider today and it was also the first time I ever saw one. She has built a web in my perenial garden.
I came nose to spider with one of these beautiful creatures in my perennial garden this afternoon. I had never seen anything like her. I got some pictures and left her alone.
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