If you’re squeamish about spiders, I suggest you skip this post. If you’re like me and love the eight-legged freaks… read on!
Every night I have a little backyard ritual. I close up the umbrella, tidy up the patio table, clean up any leftover peanuts/peanut mess at Squirrelington’s, and just generally put the yard to bed for the night.
A few weeks back, I turned to come in and noticed a beautiful spider web strung across from the patio light, to the hanger that held the strawberry pot. On it was a good-sized (about a quarter) spider.
From her shape, I could tell he was some type of orb weaver, but with the back lighting, I couldn’t tell what kind (there are literally dozens of different types)
I ran back in to get my camera, but by the time I got back outside, she was gone.
I promptly forgot about her, until a week later when the same thing happened. With the same results.
Finally, the other night,s he was out – busily spinning up some dinner. He picked an ideal spot, as the moths fly right toward the light and into her web.
With the lighting, it was tricky to get pictures, but I managed some decent ones. Again, the lighting made if difficult to determine her colouring, but I was pretty sure she was a Grey Cross Orb Weaver. I needed to get a better look at her in the daylight.
The next morning, I came out ready, with my camera. But she was nowhere to be found. In fact, the web was also gone!
But then that night… she’s out there again, building a new web!
This went on for another week. Out at night, building a web, but gone by morning with nary a trace. A little research told me this is just what cross orb weavers do – build a new web every day! (That seems like a lot of work).
So the other afternoon, I decided to do a little investigating. I poked around, all the places in the area I thought a spider might hide. Under the lights, in the strawberry pot, even down behind the garden cart that sits below the light.
Finally it dawned on me… Froggy hangs on that wall…
I inspected closer, and sure enough…
I spy a spider butt!
Carefully, I took Froggy off the wall.
Mrs. Spider stayed put, so I moved in for a closer look.
Isn’t she a beauty?
Wandering Cat Studio 
Do these spiders vacation in Arizona by any chance? There was a very similar spider that came out only at night and hung in the center of the glass back door. It was almost as if she came down to peek in the windows at night. Every morning I will go out and look and look and look for her or her web or wherever. That they rebuild a web nightly makes sense! This went on for over three weeks. Thanks for solving the mystery…
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I admire your tenacity in getting photos of the spider. I can’t say that I share your fascination with them though. I’m not terrified fo them, but I do have a healthy respect since we have so many dangerous ones out here in the west.
In fact, I had Chloe at the dog park here tonight and one of the regulars brought his dog in, (She happens to be Chloe’s best doggy friend here at the RV park), and he had been bitten by a spider at work yesterday. His entire arm was swollen and red. Two of the ladies there with their dogs happen to be doctors and told him to draw a circle around the bite and again where it’s swollen tonight. If the redness or swelling goes further he’s to go to the ER. Spider bites are not to be messed with up here in the high desert.
Blessings,
Betsy
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Spiders are fascinating and she is a beauty!
I live in spider heaven. I am covered with webs most days. For some reason they always have to build their webs right where I need to walk. I never used to mind until I got a few nasty bites. I am more careful now to stay out of their way and cover my hair if I am going out.
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I’m a spider lover too! I admire your tenacity in getting photos of her. Love your garden and of course love, love, love Burton and the other kitties.
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Yuck! I freely admit to not liking spiders at all. They do creep me out and I have been bitten. Not nice!
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You were brave and persevered on finding the answer to this mystery! She looks very different to our orb weavers! Cool!
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Spiders make me jump out of my skin, however, I prepared myself for your post (thanks for the warning!)
As I am building a yarden, hoping all creatures enjoy it, I cannot escape the spiders, nor do I want to…but I’ll just keep them at arm’s length.
Yes, it’s a phobia, that was earned for some very good reasons which I’ll not go into.
Despite that, I try hard to capture spiders that make it inside, and put them outside.
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Look at those little fuzzies!!!!
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For the last few weeks, I have been dodging spider webs on my early morning walks. This morning, there was just a vertical line of web with a spider hanging there. First time I have ever seen that. Fortunately, I saw it and didn’t walk into it. You got some awesome photos!
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I was great with it all Val until the last photo. I do think you should enter them in some contest. They are amazing.
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