I found this spider in my garden this morning. I was only able to get a pic of the underside which appears to have a "smiley face" in orange and yellow on its abdomen. It also has orange marks along the sides close to the end of the abdomen. When I sprayed it and it scurried away under my pineapple sage I saw a bright white stripe running the length of its abdomen but wasn't able to get a picture of it. The web is very symmetrical so it made me think...not a widow...since I've read their webs are rather messy. I've been searching the internet all morning and haven't seen a comparable picture.
Anyone know what this may be?
CLOSED: Spider in garden with orange/yellow "smiley face" markings
It looks like an Orchard Orbweaver...extremely beneficial in the garden and harmless.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/2010
This message was edited Aug 20, 2012 10:10 AM
Awesome! Thanks for the quick response and info. I'm a novice gardener but I am trying to identify all my creepy crawlers before deciding what to do about them, if anything. I did have to disturb the web...hopefully it'll just move to a more secluded spot.
As the years go by, I'm more tolerant what I let stay. Spiders are at the top of the list.
Funny you should post about this spider today. I have 2 of them in my garden this year and they are absolutely fascinating as well as beautiful. Their legs are a chartreuse green. Here is a link to a picture I found of them.
http://www.dpughphoto.com/images/orchard%20spider%20audubon%20swamp%20garden%2010107%202.JPG
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