This is the time of year that Yellow Garden spiders appear. They’re found in gardens across the U.S. but are often go unnoticed until late summer and early fall when they reach maturity. Yellow Garden Spiders spin intricate webs spiraling out from the center, sometimes reaching three feet across. The center usually has a distinctive zig-zag pattern. Webs are usually anchored by branches of shrubs in a sunny spot. This one was built between the house and a shrub.
Yellow Garden Spiders hang upside down on the web waiting for prey, which may be aphids, mosquitoes, flies, or small flying insects. They sense prey by vibration of the web. This one seems to have captured a bee. It was in the web yesterday but wrapped tightly to save for a later meal. You can see the zig-zag section of the web.
Today the spider unwrapped it and began its feast.
This one spins its web in the same spot every day, patiently waiting for a poor bug to be tangled. Even though I don’t like spiders one bit, the Yellow Garden Spider fascinates me—as long as I can watch it through the window, that is.
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