Along Comes a Teensy Weensy Spider!

Because this past Friday was Friday the 13th, which conjures up thoughts of scary movies and Halloween (Oct. 31), I decided to feature the spinybacked orbweaver spider or the scientific name, Gasteracantha cancriformis (Linnaeus). Other common names are crab spider, jewel spider and smiley face spider.

One day on a walk at GTM Research Reserve (part of the estuary where I work) I saw this spider. You might see one of these guys between trees on the trails ... waiting for prey like beetles, whiteflies and moths to fly into their webs. It's harmless to humans though!

The spinybacked orbweaver is a brightly colored spider that has a hard, white abdomen with red markings and black spines protruding from its edges.

Their name comes from the spines that stick out from their abdomen and body. It's about half an inch or less in length. This spider is common along the southeast coast of the U.S. and is a regular visitor to yards in Florida.

Standing upside down, it creates a web that is circular in shape with few to no spirals at the center of the web. You'll find them in shrubs or trees, in the corners of windows, and in other outdoor areas of buildings. They capture flying or even crawling insects found around the home. Unless carried inside while living in a potted plant, you won't find them in your home.

Here is a YouTube video I found of a spinybacked orbweaver spinning its web to classical music. It's really awesome to watch!

Join me next week when we take a sneak peek at things that go bump in the night at GTM's EstuSCARY Halloween festival!