
Spider season is upon us in Greensboro! The above photo is of argiope aurantia, a black and yellow garden spider. This is a female as her body is quite large. These colorful beauties are common in gardens, forest edges, and old fields. They spin round orb webs and decorate them with a bold, trademark zig-zag, which is known as a stabilimentum* (something that is a stay, support, or point of stability). The above spider was smart enough to scurry out of the way when we came to photograph, but in less than five minutes, she returned to her place in the sun, a prime spot for catching insects on this warm, fall day. Garden spiders eat other spiders and other pesky insects, so, while they may seem creepy, they are actually helping control the bug population.
If you read Charlotte's Web, you know that around the time of the state fairs, spiders need to spin their webs, lay their eggs, and prepare to die. They is why they are so active this time of year. Did you know that many orb weavers eat their web at the end of the day, rest, and spin a new web in the same location. Spiders are so interesting and fun to study. If you have any children in your life, we encourage you to let them use their imagination and spider watch. Good, free, imagination-building fun is alive and well, right here in Greensboro, North Carolina.
*reference and more information about spiders of North Carolina, here.