I found this beautiful little spider underneath my wheelbarrow in the back yard. I leave it upside down when I'm not using it; otherwise, it becomes a breeding ground for mosquitos. I haven't used in in a while, so I was pretty sure there would be something cool under it that I could capture on film. I was not disappointed. There were all kinds of creepy crawlies under there - lots of roly polies and crickets and a few spiders, but this one caught my eye. The way the light was shining on it made it seem a metallic silver color - almost mirror-like. It wasn't until I got up close with the camera that I got to see its real beauty.
The orchard orbweaver, also commonly known as the orchard spider or longjawed orbweaver is a pretty common spider in North America, ranging from Florida all the up the eastern coast of the US and west as far west as California as well as the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. In fact, it is found in 39 out of the 50 US states. It seems that the only places it is not found is where there are more extreme climates. For example, it is not reported to live in Alaska or desert regions like Nevada and Arizona.
The scientific name (Leucauge venusta) has an interesting meaning. The genus (Leucauge) means "with a bright gleam" in Greek - a very fitting epithet considering how brilliantly the sunlight gleams off of this spider's back. The species name (venusta) is a Latin word that means "charming, elegant, or beautiful". In my opinion, all three words accurately describe this species. The green coloration of the legs; the way the chartreuse stripes accent the iridescent white of the abdomen. This is a prime of example of God's beauty in nature.
The following picture also shows why some call it the longjawed orbweaver. Check out the size of the chelicerae on her! Chelicerae are what most would refer to as jaws. They are specialized mouthparts that arachnids and some other arthropods have. In spiders, they are generally hollow and connect to venom glands. Yes, all spiders are venomous! But do not fear; the venom of most spiders is generally harmless to humans (barring an allergic reaction).
I have come to the (unprofessional) opinion that this is probably a female. I figured it was a male until I did some research, because lot of male spiders have large swollen chelicerae; however, females of this species also have large jaws. The deciding factors for me were the legs and the size of the abdomen. The legs of females are usually green with dark colored joints, whereas the legs of males may be green but could also be yellow, brown, or orange. As for abdomen size, females usually have a larger abdomen than males compared to their overall body size. You can see that this particular specimen has green legs, and the abdomen is quite large compared to the rest of the body.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this beautiful animal! She was patient enough to allow me to get a few good shots, and then I let her go back to her home.
This past week or so has been a lot of fun. It has been so therapeutic just spending 30 or 45 minutes outside finding the hidden beauty in my own backyard. I encourage every one of you to take time to do the same. Whether you are taking pictures, gardening, just looking around, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how much better it makes you feel.
I hope that you are enjoying reading these posts as much as I am putting them together. If so, please drop me a message in the comments. Critique my photography skills (or lack thereof). Correct or corroborate my information within the article. Any input you have is appreciated and encouraging!
Most of my information about this spider came from http://www.spiders.us/species/leucauge-venusta/#about.