My girlfriend has retreated to a metal beam. I think I know why.
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| orb-weaver, American-style |
She has a new neighbor, and she's probably not happy about it.
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| orb-weaver, Korean-style (sorry for the blur; see this link for a clearer shot) |
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| Can you see both spiders in this picture? Click to enlarge. |
The first time I realized the colorful Korean spiders were also orb-weavers, I was astounded. How could two such different-looking species produce almost exactly the same web? It still amazes me. Also interesting is that the Korean orb-weavers are out in August. Initially, I saw the Korean spiders in October, so I began thinking of them as October spiders. Then, as I became more observant, I started seeing them in September, so I guess it's not surprising to discover that they're out as early as August. Did I miss seeing them in July? I wonder. Earlier, I had said that the two types of orb-weavers didn't seem to appear together, but I guess I was wrong. They don't work in shifts. Looks to me as if they actually compete for space and resources. Well, if that's the case, may the best lady win!
I don't know much about spiders (other than to avoid them), but this post got me wondering if they can be predatory. The orb weaver moved in next door, but couldn't she just take over the girlfriend's web? Saves all that time making your own.
ReplyDeleteI don't know enough about orb-weavers to know whether they're capable of such sophisticated behavior (taking over another's web). At a guess, they stick to their own webs, but I'll see what the literature has to say.
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