You’ve probably seen orb weaver spiders in your backyard or garden. They’re quite common and beneficial, since they eat insects.

These photos were taken in our yard, a few years ago. These spiders’ appearance is quite striking and they make the most interesting webs too.

This spider appears to be in the process of building it’s web. It’s walking along a single strand of silk which will probably form part of the structure of its web. It was quite large, about 6 inches across from leg tip to tip. I like its bright yellow and black body.

Large Orb Weaver

This is a smaller spider, but I caught it sitting in the center of its web. This web has a decoration, known as a stabilimentum. Not all orb weaver webs have decorations, but when they do, the result is stunning. Not all decorations look like this. Some are crosses, Y’s and X’s.

It’s thought that the stabilimentum serves as a lure for prey, or perhaps as a marker to warn birds away from the web, so they don’t damage it. It might also provide camouflage for the spider sitting in the middle of it. Another theory is that it distracts prey and makes it harder for them to see the web itself. No matter what the explanation, it works for the spider and looks great!

Small Orb Weaver On Target