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Comments & ID Thoughts
Looks a little like a wolf spider, however it is in a web which is approx 2 ft diameter, 4-6 feet above the ground, anchored at the ground (below) and tree branches (above, maybe 10 feet above the web).
- Submitted by:
- Submitted: Feb 25, 2020
- Photographed: Feb 25, 2020
- Spider: Eriophora ravilla (Tropical Orb-weaver)
- Location: Melbourne, Florida, United States
- Spotted Outdoors: Low foliage (shrubs, herbs, garden, excluding flowers),High foliage (includes trees and tree trunks)
- Found in web?: Yes
- Attributes: Dorsal, Webs
Mar 28, 2024
Mar 28, 2024
São Luís Maranhão , 
The photo doesn’t help judge size, but the total body length is approximately 1 – 1.25 inches (without including the legs).
Great photo! She looks like a Tropical Orbweaver, Eriophora ravilla. They’re rather hairy for Orbweavers. The dorsal markings can vary. The females build the big orb webs and are positioned head-down in the center, as yours is demonstrating. There are strands of silk in the center as part of the construction of the web, but they are eaten by the spider. The opening serves as a short-cut for the spider to move from one vertical side of the web to the other.
Thanks for the info & ID! I went out this morning for a daytime photo to capture more detail, but the web and spider were gone – exactly like a renter I had several years ago! 🙁 I didn’t notice any distinct dorsal markings last night, but it was dark and my eyes aren’t as good as they used to be. But your description is right on the mark. There was an opening in the center of the web, and at one point the spider was straddled in that opening, ready to grab a meal from either side. There were… Read more »
Hi, your photo has been filed into our gallery and your info into our statistics by our Site Moderator. She added the photos below for comparison. Some of the pics show the markings. Not all of the spiders in the species have visible markings. These are not dangerous spiders. The venom is not medically significant to humans nor pets. They are very unlikely to bite. Spiders generally bite humans and pets in self-defense. They have incredibly touch-sensitive bodies and are very fragile. Skin pressed against them causes them to feel pained and trapped. They bite not to injure us, but… Read more »
I have to admit – you make it sound interesting. But I can’t see myself adopting this lady spider, no matter how cute she may be! I did just go out a few minutes ago to see if she was back at her post, and she is. Not the exact same spot, but just a few feet away. A least I assume it’s the same spider. Still can’t see any markings, but the basic coloration is the same tonight as the one I saw last night. And since we’ve walked into ‘a’ web in that spot previously a few times… Read more »
You’re welcome! Lights won’t help with raccoons, I grew up in an area with many of them. I don’t think there is an ethical effective repellent or control besides predation by the species that eat raccoons. Rabies runs through their population about every six years, temporarily plummeting the population number. I had a job that involved knowing how rabies spreads. It might be more rapid cycling in the South. I don’t mind diverted biology conversion, it all ties together. We used caging on our garden plants for raccoon protection but they still managed to do damage. My parents eventually gave… Read more »