Neoscona crucifera
I found this spider on my front porch several days ago. It was curled up hiding under an overhang. At first, I thought it was dead, but as I started to pick it up, it began moving.
I remember these spiders from my childhood. They were one of my favorites, because they would wait until nighttime and build these huge, elaborate orb webs. We would catch moths to toss into the web so we could watch the spider catch it and wrap it up. Their speed always amazed me. They would be headed toward where the moth was flying before it ever touched the web!
The Yellow And Black Spot
They have a yellow and black spot on the underside of their abdomen. I remember thinking that it looked like an eye as it sat in the center of its web illuminated by my flashlight.
After my photo shoot, I placed this specimen in my garden in hopes that it would build one of those giant orb webs and I could get a few shots. Unfortunately, it did not, but it did remain there hidden in a leaf for several days; and before it left, it produced a large egg sac. Hopefully, I'll have a garden full of them come next spring.
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