Spiny Backed Orb Weaver Spider spinning a web - one of Nature's amazing creatures. To see a video of it spinning a web check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwLn11KJS9Y
Spiny Backed Orb Weaver Spider masterfully weaving a web set to Classical Music. Because of it's stunningly bizarre beauty it is natural that the Gasteracantha cancriformis is called by many names - the star spider, spiny-backed orb weaver, spiny orb weaver spider, crab-like orb weaver spider, crab-like spiny orb weaver spider, crab spider, jewel spider, spiny-bellied orbweaver, jewel box spider, smiley face spider or sometimes in the Philippines, the king. I think of it as the happy smiley-faced spider as it really seems to enjoy its work and is a joy to have around the Backyard! Watch as this beautiful spider fastidiously works its magic set to classical music:
A little Halloween Fun.....Scary Halloween Spider set to Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor organ music. Crank up the volume and put this on a big screen TV and enjoy! Actually this is a very large Marbled Orb Weaver Spider that matures and turns quite orange in October and then dies - its a really sweet spider! This poor soul was picked off by a bird after I released it unharmed on a tree branch.
Orange Marbled Orb Weaver Spider in Macro - this is the perfect Halloween or "Pumpkin Spider" as it matures to a bright orange in October. Jack-O-Lantern Head and Eight big eyes staring at you - what's not to love! This one was blown out of its web onto the deck in a storm and like most Orb Weavers they are not great "Walkers" and people have nothing to fear. They are gentle spiders and quite patient while I filmed with the lens about an inch away. You can see it set a silk thread to secure itself several times so it could jump to escape if need be. This gorgeous spider was safely put back in the brush.
