ID
Posted by Kathy Chater on December 5, 2005
Q: I found a spider in my garden and I think it may be an Orb Weaver? It looks like the photos except the body is bright orange instead of yellow and I think it only has six eyes. Can you help?
Habitat: suburban/yard
State: Georgia
Habitat: suburban/yard
A: There are a lot of different kinds of orb-weavers (several hundred in North America) so don't think that yours must look exactly like one in a book. You may want to google "orb-weaver spiders" and see if you come up with a photo of "your" spider. The orb-weavers make a "typical" spider web and are often found in peoples' yards and gardens. The eyes on a spider are not always the same size and not always easy to see so I'll bet there really are 8 eyes on yours.
At this time of year the orb-weavers usually lay their eggs and then die so your spider may not have long to live. If it's warm enough in Georgia right now, you may want to toss a live insect into your spider's web and see if it is interested. Thanks for your question and I hope this helps.
John Wiessinger ( December 6, 2005)