a journal about spiders found around Western PA
How exciting! If you're reading this I guess it worked! This post goes out to anyone who has seen this scary headline in its many shapes and forms about the introduced Joro spider (Trichonephila clavata). If you clicked these colorfully titled articles because it freaked you out, then you fell for it hook, line, and... Continue Reading →
It was a warm, sunny day in the outskirts of the city. The windows were open and the sheer curtains were billowing in the breeze. The day was lazy with the cats perched on the window sills, ears and tails twitching. I was digging around in my supplies when I heard the strangest sound. It... Continue Reading →
Last July, at a spider presentation in Sarver, PA, an enthusiastic mom/daughter scavenger hunt team found an orb weaving spider with her egg sac. They found a lot of other cool spiders, too - I should've asked if they'd be willing to go with me on every spider hunt. Since the spider was displaced and seemed... Continue Reading →
Of the four common types of spider webs, the orb web is the classic spiderweb. Its engineering beauty and perfection is unrivaled in the animal kingdom. Orb webs are composed of four basic parts: the frame, the radial threads (spokes), the hub, and the sticky spiral. Only the spiral is sticky. Spiders have the ability... Continue Reading →
It's that time of year! The crispy edges of summer, back to school, football, AND adult Argiope aurantia season. You may know her as the banana spider, garden spider, black and yellow spider, Steelers spider, or some other nickname, but we're all talking about the same lady. Yes, the spider you notice is the female of the species. Males... Continue Reading →
You have probably seen them - nearly horizontal orb webs with one, two, maybe THREE green spiders in them. This is Leucauge venusta, AKA the Orchard Spider. If you see more than one spider in the web, one is the female and any others are most likely males waiting to mate with the lady. One summer,... Continue Reading →
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