I realize many people don't bother to get this close to a spider, but I think their fascinating. This guy has taken up residence in this plant for a good while now. He's quite large, about the size of a fifty cent piece around I bet. Anyone know what he is?
:) Kim
Maybe a Green Lynx spider, he's handsome!
blue eyes, I had that exact same spider on my Vitex the other day. It was hanging onto this large thing the size of a walnut..it looked a lot like a walnut actually. And so I smacked it down so I could see what the deal was...and she held onto the walnut for dear life...but when she fell, I smooshed open the walnut and it was full of yellow eggs! Majorly gross to say the least. I do not know if this was a good thing to smoosh its eggs, but I did. :( Wish I could ID him for you.
fly girl, glad you t hink he was handsome....he/she gave me the creeps! But I'm not a big bug lover...or spider lover either.
Michelle
Yep, fly girl is right...it is a green lynx spider:
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/beneficial/green_lynx_spider.htm
looks like he eats honey bees and moths and other insects. I guess I am glad I squished her eggs, b/c I love honey bees.
concerning that walnut looking egg sac...no wonder she wouldn't let it go...she guards it vigorously:
"in North America, has one generation a year under field conditions and apparently constructs one egg sac, typically in September and October, although two or more may be constructed in the southern part of its range. After an egg sac is constructed, the female guards it continuously and vigorously. Usually, she hangs upside down from the sac and will rush at anything that threatens it. Each egg sac contains 25 to 600 bright orange eggs, with an average of approximately 200 eggs. Eggs require 11 to 16 days to hatch, depending on air temperature."
It says bright orange...I guess the ones I squished were orange/yellow. There were at least 600 eggs in the sac tho.
Eeeewww Michelle! I think spiders are cool but they do eat a lot of beneficials as well as pest bugs.
They get their lynx name because of their catlike approach to prey...they sort of pounce.
Pouncing spider hu? Yeah, she looked like she wanted to pounce me alright when I was trying to knock her off my Vitex with my flip flop. hehe. I wonder why that is why we don't have as many honey bees as usual this year? Maybe these spiders have been chowing down. Normally the bees are thick all over my Mexican sage bush at this time of year. They buzz really loudly and go nuts...but I have not seen them this year. ANd I have NEVER seen one of thos spiders before the other day either.
I'm not too thrilled with spiders b/c I was bitten by a brown recluse some years ago and so I am not too fond of the little guys. :)
She's just an itsy bitsy spider heehee
I don't know if they eat THAT many bees, one bee would probably last a week in a spider's diet.
I would pounce too if you tried to hit me with your flip flops, especially if you just squished 600 of my babies lol
Thanks for the ID! I haven't seen any egg sacs on this plant, but i'll keep my eye out. Sounds like it may have some use agriculturally which is interesting. This little one is settled close to the front door so I sure hope she never decides to pounce!
:) Kim
Good call Fly! Hey I may be in the minority- so what else is new- but I like spiders! And the Green Lynx is a great color- check this photo out, not mine, I "borrowed" it.
Both photos are great, I love their little spiny legs
Kim, just don't wear your flip flops around her
I love green lynx spiders...lol..especially the larger females. I've got a huge mama lynx spider sitting on her egg case out on the anise hyssop in the front flowerbed. She'll probably be there until around late February, continually laying 2 or 3 more egg cases. I'll try to get a photo of her soon.. :)
Melanie
I'm so glad you asked, blue eyes! I have these, and never could get a clear picture of one. Now I know what it is. As long as it won't hurt my grandchildren I let a spider be! Too bad these don't confine themselves to pests, but there you are.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could move them to where you need them? I sure could use something that would eat these pesky bean leafrollers! But have you ever moved a spider and had it stay where you put it? It's like herding cats.
This is the most helpful place, absolutely!!!
Sassy & I were walking around my yard yesterday & I saw cobwebs on my yellow hibiscus. I picked up a twig & was going to get them off. I walked up on my deck & there was your's's cousin. She was definitely guarding the top of my H (in pedastal pots). & guess what we saw in her web, not a sack yet, but a honey bee!!!
