Nocturnal Exterminator
As of this writing I haven’t yet been able to discover a proper name for the spider shown above.
Despite that, and as a budding amateur arachnologist, I’ve observed that her work hours are unique: 100 percent at night! [No wise-cracks, thank you.]
And I assume it is a she because the female in the orb-weaver [Araneidae] family usually weaves the large web. [The smaller male either makes his own reduced-scale nearby or simply hangs out furtively on an edge of the female’s.]
This one begins after dark – about 8:45 p.m. – and has her circular gossamer threads up and running about forty-five minutes later: 9:30.
If you’ve never watched a spider do a web you must. I am always astounded how a creature so tiny can accomplish so much intricate, complex work; and in this case in just under an hour!
But if you are not initially as impressed as I, then consider what happens in the black of night when it starts to rain and storm: ride ‘em cowboy! It is like turning a trampoline on its side and continuing to BOING BOING without falling off while still weaving the net!
And add one more fact: she removes all traces of her work by about 4:45 each morning. And how exactly does she do that? By being the ultimate recycler: “… [she] take[s] it down and eat[s] it before hiding for the night or day.” [*]
In the interest of full disclosure two days ago we had an extremely violent and lengthy overnight storm.
This newest spider tenant has not been seen since. She was last observed riding the web, but exceptional 60 mile an hour gusts came up which could have launched her and web to places unknown.
If I find out more about this un-named arachnid I’ll write an update.
Should you have an interest in spiders – or can push aside any qualms – I invite you to go back to desktodirt for the month of October, 2014. I, myself, had ongoing encounters with an Argiope aurantia that were truly incredible.
And I mean that in every sense of the word.
[*Note this article: http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Araneidae/]