Check out this Yellow Garden Spider that built a 2-3 foot wide web on my back fence:
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missouri_spider2.jpg (53.46 KiB) Viewed 5844 times
This distinctive spider is often noticed because of its large size and its habit of building webs in gardens and grassy areas near houses. It is most typically found in tall grasslands.
The small cephalothorax is tipped with silver hairs, and the slightly oval abdomen is patterned yellow (sometimes orange) and black. A black mid-stripe with four white spots in the center marks the top of the abdomen. The legs are black with yellow-orange stripes. The upper portion of the legs is more solidly colored orange-yellow. Females are much larger than males and can reach lengths of 19-28mm as compared to 5-8mm for males.
This spider can be found sitting head-down at its web's hub where a zig-zag silk band, the stabilimentum, extends vertically from the center. A variety of insects may fall prey to this spider, especially grasshoppers and katydids. Certain species of smaller spiders use yellow garden spider webs as their own and may feed on the tiny insects caught in the web.
Missouri distribution: presumed statewide in tall grasslands with tall herbaceous vegetation.
Re: Missouri Yellow Garden Spider In My Backyard
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:15 am
by Digital Puppy
I don't even want that thing on my computer screen!!
Re: Missouri Yellow Garden Spider In My Backyard
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:18 am
by Dragon_Cooler
Digital Puppy wrote:
I don't even want that thing on my computer screen!!
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG
HATE!!!
Re: Missouri Yellow Garden Spider In My Backyard
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:27 am
by Illuminati
Awesome!
We had one of these on our electric box a few years ago ... I killed its egg sac since I didn't know what it was, but I enjoyed looking at it whenever I mowed the grass that year. Now I wish I would have let the egg sac go... we have an insane grasshopper population at my house!
Re: Missouri Yellow Garden Spider In My Backyard
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:09 am
by XstollieX
We had one of those in our hastas. My nieces and nephews loved coming over to check it out.
Re: Missouri Yellow Garden Spider In My Backyard
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:54 am
by Apoptosis
I think I'm going to name her and keep her... Just gave her lunch and it was wicked awesome:
grass_hopper.jpg (45.57 KiB) Viewed 5810 times
I got a video of the next one coming here in a second once the 200+ MB file gets done uploading.
Re: Missouri Yellow Garden Spider In My Backyard
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:47 am
by Illuminati
Sweet... that video finished uploading yet?
Re: Missouri Yellow Garden Spider In My Backyard
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:54 am
by KnightRid
Cool! Slap a leash on it and take it for a walk every evening
Mike
Hell they might make you get a license for that big sucker! lol
Re: Missouri Yellow Garden Spider In My Backyard
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:55 am
by FZ1
Are they poisonous?
Re: Missouri Yellow Garden Spider In My Backyard
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:57 am
by Apoptosis
yup the video is done:
Re: Missouri Yellow Garden Spider In My Backyard
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 12:09 pm
by Illuminati
That's awesome!
Re: Missouri Yellow Garden Spider In My Backyard
Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 3:58 pm
by vicaphit
I love spiders. That one is a pretty good size, and it didn't waste any time wrapping up that grasshopper.
