Comments & ID Thoughts
I believe it is a Spiny-Backed Orb Weaver, and with its coloring, a female. Spotted outside my backyard, which ends in the wetlands. It built a large web, with long features as well as being circular near the middle. Beautiful! Was excited to see such an unusual spider.
- Submitted by:
- Submitted: Nov 29, 2019
- Photographed: Nov 28, 2019
- Spider: Unidentified
- Location: Leesburg, Florida, United States
- Spotted Outdoors: High foliage (includes trees and tree trunks)
- Found in web?: Yes
- Attributes:
Was I right that it is a female Spiny-Backed Orb Weaver?
Yes she’s female Spiny-backed Orbweaver, Gasteracantha gracilis. It is easy to tell the gender of adult spiders that make orb (circle) webs. The females are the bigger ones in the center of the web. They usually have their head facing the ground. Males make tiny orb webs when they are juveniles and stop when they are near maturity and start seeking females. They can’t find a gal to mate with if they are sitting around in a web. When they find that special (available) girl they approach by sitting at the edge of her web. They make courting movements and… Read more »