The above spider, thriving in Geensboro, NC, has just finished wrapping and eating her prey. Spiders are masterful at catching their pray, killing and eating it. This ball of food was initially white and as consumption came to an end, it was black. There are 32 unique species of spiders in North Carolina* and this ventral view appears to be of a a Hentz-Orbweaver. They are most commonly spotted in September, but it is not uncommon to spot them in August. You may hate spiders, but one spider can eat about 2,000 insects a year. So, you have to pick your battles. Which is creepier, the thought of one spider or 2,000 insects? Only two spiders in NC are poisonous to humans, the southern black widow and the brown recluse. Females tend to be larger and more venomous. Both sexes will bite if you get too close to the web. Yes, we were pushing out luck in the above photo; however, this female was so busy wrapping her prey, she didn't have much time to focus on human onlookers. We plan to keep track of how many days we see her and doubt she will go anywhere until, well, it is her time...
Happy spider hunting and watching. It really is a fun hobby with children. You can see how E.B. White got so captivated by Charlotte and why "Charlotte's Web" captivated us all.
* reference and great photos, here.
Excellent macro shot.
Posted by: William Kendall | Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at 10:50 AM