The
lady set up housekeeping between the morning glory vines and
the lamp post and hung there in her black and yellow outfit,
upside down. Garden spiders, or argiopes (ar-GUY-oh-pees),
create large orb webs and hers was no exception. This masterful
insect trap stretched two feet in both directions.
When
I plucked a strand of her web with a blade of grass, she raised
her striped front legs in anticipation and took a step or
two toward the vibration. But she soon determined this wiggle
was not lunch, and retreated to her central observation point.
Some
spider species create a new web each night. Not the argiope.
Her masterpieces may hang for several days, until wind or
water damages them beyond usefulness. Then, under cover of
darkness, she will search for a different suitable location
and begin spinning again.
Female
argiopes are easy to identify because of their size and markings.
They grow to over an inch long with irregular black and yellow
blotches on the abdomen. Males have the same striking coloration
but only reach a quarter inch in length. His small size makes
him much less noticeable, which is just as well, because,
like many other spiders, female argiopes often eat the males
after mating.
The
argiope in my garden is a welcome guest. She will earn her
keep, devouring insects more safely than pesticides, while
allowing me to peer quietly into her magnificent net spun
of gossamer silk.
As
adults, we pass on our fear of spiders to children by needlessly
squishing or stomping them, or screaming at the sight of them.
When I was growing up, my mom taught us to respect spiders.
Sure some can deliver an irritating bite, but if we found
one in the house, we either left it alone, or carefully transported
it outside. Dangerous spiders such as brown recluse or black
widows are extremely rare in our area.
Spiders
in history
Our
learned fears originate out of a lack of knowledge, a common
occurrence with creatures that are mostly nocturnal and secretive.
Many ancient people feared spiders and Romans carried a special
stone - an agate-- to ward away spider spells. At some point,
the tables were turned, and spiders were used to treat illness.
Little Miss Muffet was a real girl who lived in Europe in
the 1600s. Her father was a doctor who prescribed swallowing
spiders for ailments.
Bug
juice, anyone?
If
you can get over your own fears of spiders, it can be fun
introducing children to them. Creepy video games have nothing
on spiders. While most do not have fangs large enough to pierce
human skin, they easily puncture insect bodies caught in their
web. Then they suck out the juices like a bug slurpee.
The
argiope in my August garden will slurp hundreds of insects
in her lifetime. If her splendid web captures more insects
than she can sip, she stuns them with a bit of venom, and
winds them in silk threads she exudes from her abdomen. This
keeps the insect alive, and from drying out, preserving them
for a light night snack.
Family
Activity
Collect
spider webs to study and admire with just a few easy-to-obtain
supplies.
You'll
need: White typing paper, attached to a clip board
Black spray paint
Newspaper
Clear acrylic spray
Orb
spider webs are nearly circular in shape, with strands that
radiate out from the center. They are fairly easy to find
on a morning hike in the woods or field. Most spiders use
their web for one or two nights before they build a new one
in a different location.
Once
you find a web, check to see that a spider is not sitting
in it. Have a helper hold a sheet of newspaper a few inches
behind the web. This will protect plants from getting painted.
Spray the web gently to coat it with the paint.
Immediately
bring the sheet of white paper on the clipboard toward you
from behind the web to capture it on the paper. Once the web
has stuck to the paper, set it aside for a few minutes, and
then reinforce it with a light spray of clear acrylic.
To
protect your web art, slide it into a clear plastic sheet
protector (available at office supply stores).
Can
you find any variations in your collection of webs?
