spider

Walking On Water

/ Rebecca / 12 Comments

As I stood on the boardwalk gazing out at the lake, a Fishing spider suddenly scampered across the water’s surface and came to rest on top of a lily pad. Its thin, lightweight legs covered with water-repellent hairs enabled it to move effortlessly across the water’s surface without breaking the surface tension. There it sat, waiting for some unsuspecting insect or small fish to pass by.

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Following are some of the other spiders that I have seen this year and some of the unique ways that each one is able to thrive and survive in their environment.

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The female wolf spider transports her egg sac, which is affixed to her abdomen, allowing her to carry it wherever she goes. Once the spiderlings hatch, they climb up onto her abdomen, and she carries them with her until they are able to take care of themselves.

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In order to capture their prey, funnel-weaving spiders construct flat, non-sticky webs featuring a funnel-shaped retreat on one side. The spider remains concealed at the rear of the web, hidden from view, until the silk threads are disturbed. Quickly it scurries out, seizes the prey, and takes it back to their funnel for feeding.

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Long-bodied cellar spiders occasionally venture out of their webs to hunt for small insects and other spiders. When they feel threatened, they use a vibrating defense mechanism — shaking their web rapidly to disorient predators and make their location harder to pinpoint. If another spider approaches too closely, they raise themselves up on their long, slender legs to avoid bites, insert their venom, and quickly wrap the intruder in silk.

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Orb-weaver spiders craft intricate, sticky, wheel-shaped webs that serve as their primary means of catching prey. The webs are strategically placed in spots that insects frequent. Remarkably, they can replace their entire web with a new one in just about an hour, ensuring it remains functional.

(Note: For the best viewing experience, watch the video in full-screen mode.)

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The Black and Yellow Garden Spider is a well-known type of orb-weaver. Unlike other orb spiders, it has a unique zigzag band of silk running down the center of its web. This design is believed to attract insects and provide a hiding spot for the spider. When an insect becomes ensnared, the spider injects venom to paralyze it and then wraps it in silk to save for later. This spider also employs a vibrating motion as a defense mechanism.

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It is remarkable to consider the various ways in which God’s small creatures are endowed with distinct strengths and abilities necessary for their self-sufficiency and survival within their specific habitats.

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“Traveller, there is no path. Paths are made by walking” — Antonio Machado

Spiders and Their Webs

/ Rebecca / 16 Comments

A spider lives inside my head
Who weaves a strange and wondrous web
Of silken threads and silver strings
To catch all sorts of flying things,
Like crumbs of thoughts and bits of smiles
And specks of dried-up tears,
And dust of dreams that catch and cling
For years and years and years …
~Shel Silverstein

Spatterdock (Yellow Pond Lily)

/ Rebecca / 15 Comments

Spatterdock can be found growing around parts of the lake, providing a habitat for a variety of creatures and serving as nourishment for others.

Below is a dragonfly laying eggs on one of the leaves.

“The most beautiful gift of nature is that it gives one pleasure to look around and try to comprehend what we see.” ~Albert Einstein

A Tiny Kingdom

/ Rebecca / 17 Comments

One of the types of spiders commonly seen around the lake are the funnel weavers.  Their webs remind me of tiny kingdoms spread out among the vegetation. The spiders use silk to construct sheet-like webs in which to capture insects.  The webs have a narrow funnel-shaped “retreat” where the spider hides out, sometimes camouflaged by leaves and other natural debris. They then rush out when an insect lands on the web, and use their venom to subdue the insect before dragging it back to their retreat.

Here are a few photos of funnel weavers and their webs.

Recently I spotted a funnel weaver, perhaps a male, climbing down a web.  Male funnel weavers will cautiously approach a female so as not to become her next meal.  A female, which had been sitting in the retreat, came out to check out the situation.

“A little kingdom I possess, where thoughts and feelings dwell; And very hard the task I find of governing it well.”  ~Louisa May Alcott

Construction Work

/ Rebecca / 7 Comments

There’s something mesmerizing about sunlight shining on a spider web.  The light accentuates its intricate structure and dimension.  You can’t help but admire the hours of work and beautiful details.

“For a construction job done right, get a spider to do it.” ~James MacDonald

The Writing Spider

/ Rebecca / 12 Comments

There seem to be a number of Black and Yellow Garden Spiders making their home among the vegetation around the boardwalk at the lake. These large-orb spiders are also known as the “Writing Spider”, “Zig-Zag Spider” or “Zipper Spider” because of the heavy white silk decorations which are spun into the center of their elaborate webs. The decorations resemble writing, and differ from web to web.

One of the webs caught my attention because of the way the spider was vibrating it back and forth. This is called “web flexing” and is thought to be a defense from predators or a way to entangle prey. Whatever the reason, the action is enough to make one dizzy if watched for very long.

“Your life is your story. Write well. Edit often.”  ~Susan Statham

Spiders

/ Rebecca / 10 Comments

The black and yellow garden spider is an orb spider that is often seen in the late summer. These brightly colored spiders build wheel-shaped webs with a zig-zag of thicker silk in the center. There, they patiently await their prey, which is then injected with venom and wrapped in a cocoon of silk for a future meal.

These two orb weavers had webs secured up high between two trees where they patiently laid in wait.

This funnel-web spider built a sheet-like web and positioned itself right outside of its burrow to await its next meal.

Though technically not a spider, but an arachnid, this harvestmen or “daddy longlegs” and his shadow were crawling along on a fallen tree in the woods, probably scavenging for food. Harvestmen are most often seen in the late summer and early fall around harvest time, thus their name. This one seems to be missing some legs which, unfortunately, will not grow back.

“Will you walk into my parlour? Said the spider to a fly: ‘Tis the prettiest little parlour That ever you did spy.” ~Mary Howitt

Summer Scenery

/ Rebecca / 15 Comments

Hiking on the boardwalk around the edge of Reelfoot Lake is a good way to see native plant and animal life, with each season offering up its own variety of treasures.

“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery … I thought ‘this is what it is to be happy.'” ~Sylvia Plath

Patiently waiting

/ Rebecca / 15 Comments

We spotted these two beauties sitting in their own individual webs, located near each other in a flower garden.  Black and Yellow Garden Spiders are also known as zig-zag or writing spiders because of the thick silk pattern which is found near the center of their orb-shaped webs.  The pattern is thought to deter birds from flying into the web and messing it up, as well as, perhaps, to camouflage the spider.  These colorful spiders are not harmful to humans and, in fact, are beneficial since their webs catch many flying insects which are nuisances during the late summer and early fall.

“Normal is an illusion.  What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.”  ~Charles Addams