These striking spiders look like they ought to be related to the spiny orb-weaver (Gasteracantha sp). They are in the same family (Araneidae) but a different genus (Micrathena). They have fewer spines than Gasteracantha (and, again, probably a bunch of smaller details, like the number of hairs on the thorax or which way some microscopic…
Category: Arachnids (Spiders & Scorpions)
Golden Silk Orb Weaver
These highly impressive spiders are brilliantly colored, very big (two to three inches across), and like to hang right at face-height in nearly invisible webs strung between branches. They are also known as banana spiders, although they do not like to hang out in bunches of fruit — they just are the color (and, it…
Crowned Hentzia Jumping Spider
Probably an almost adult male, and all of 3mm long, this Hentzia jumping spider (Hentzia mitrata) was virtually invisible except when it moved. (Fully adult males are not spotted, like this one, and have larger and furrier chelicerae. There is a theory that resembling a female while it’s a juvenile can help protect a young…
Cellar Spider
Here’s where casual, amateur identification breaks down: these are definitely cellar spiders, of the family Pholcidae, but beyond that…. There are about 20 Pholcidae species in the US — and a couple hundred around the world. Knowing that I found this in Florida, it’s probably Pholcus phalangioides. They’re maybe two inches across from leg to…
Cobweb Spider
This little lady (about 5mm long) is a cobweb spider (Theridiidae sp., possibly Theridion varians, although the geographic range is wrong for that). She lives on my garage door, and I’ve photographed her a couple times “posing” with that Asian tramp snail (Bradybaena similaris) shell. This morning she had produced a beautiful egg sac of…
Hentz Orb-Weaver
This immense nope of a spider, about two inches in diameter and very peeved to be disturbed, was encountered strung, at face-height, across a walking path at the Oakland Nature Preserve in Florida. I originally abandoned Neoscona crucifera (the Hentz orb-weaver) as a possible identification, since Wikipedia says they only get to be an inch…
Wall Spider
I needed help with this one (thank you, /r/spiders!). At 2.5mm long, there weren’t a lot of details to go on! This petite lady is an adult female wall spider (Oecobius navus, very probably), and isn’t she darling? She’s sitting on my pillowcase, to give you a sense of scale. Other than being tiny and…
Southeastern Social Cobweb Spider
Meet Anelosimus studiosus, the southeastern social cobweb spider. This minuscule (7mm) speck on a car window turned out to be a member of one of only 23 social species out of approximately 38,000 known species of spiders. Their behavior varies by region, and in Florida they’re relatively rarely social, but in, say, Texas, you can…
Habronattus Jumping Spider
I am pretty sure this is a female jumping spider in the Habronattus family. There are eleven species of Habronattus in Florida, and, alas, they are primarily differentiated by the microscopic morphology of male pedipalps. This is a female spider (male jumping spiders tend to be more brightly colored than the females), and I have…
Magnolia Green Jumping Spider
The Magnolia green jumping spider (Lyssomanes viridis) — this individual is an adult male, with fantastically elongated chelicerae that you simply cannot see without macro photography. Compared to the more sedate, round females, this handsome boy looks almost like an alien being. I love this species’ little red “hat”! Lyssomanes are one of the more…
Trashline Orb Weaver Spider
The name of the trashline orb weaver spider (Cyclosa turbinata) is derived from the thick vertical line of silk and/or debris in its web. Called the stabilimentum, the line may help stabilize the web, may attract insects, or may deter birds from flying through the web by making it visible. The line of silk also…
American House Spider
Maybe an inch long if she stretched out. The freeform, “messy” web is characteristic of the species.
Banana Spider
Huge but harmless, this lovely lady is about four inches across. A male of the species is only about 1/4 her size. These spiders are commonly called “banana spiders” not so much because they are yellow, but because they are often found among bunches of bananas during harvesting. I originally found this species described as…
Orchard Orb Weaver
Maybe half an inch long, including the legs — many even smaller. Orchard orb weaver spiders are almost invisible at a distance, and tiny rainbows when seen up close. They come in a variety of patterns featuring neons and bright colors against black. They hang upside down in the center of their webs waiting for…
Long-jawed Orb Weaver
Sadly, I can’t narrow this down past the family Tetragnatha, but it’s definitely a long-jawed orb weaver spider. The long-jawed orb weavers are notable first, ironically enough, for their immense forelegs, which they hold stretched out in front of them, giving the spider a very long profile. It uses these forelegs to grab prey. Secondarily…