Found this beautiful spider in my backyard here in SB. Quite sizeable (about size of a quarter). Left it alone to go about its business.
Does anyone know what kind it is?
Spider ID
Edhat Reader
December 25, 2023, 8:42 am
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Original requester/poster. Thanks for comments, not sure it’s a Cat-Faced Spider (not “spiny” enough IMO). But the attempt is appreciated. I think it’s probably some orb-type (if that’s a genus)..Oh well, it was cool to see, what I didn’t post, was a short video of it getting onto another spider’s web, I think it might have been a brown widow. The other spider came out..and seeing the size difference…wisely retreated. This orange “friend” went about it’s business in my garden.
Snorky and for anyone else still tuned in. From the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History —– the spider i.d. ——————————
“We shared the photo and question with SBMNH Collections Associate Jen Maupin, Ph.D., who answers most of our spider questions. She says this looks like Araneus gemma. She said it was likely gemma rather than gemmoides, based on the size and likelihood of occurrence in our area. It’s not that uncommon for them to still be hanging around in December.
If you update the forum with this answer, it would be nice if you could credit Dr. Maupin and the Museum using her full name and title above. Feel free to tell people about sbnature.org/ask if you want to share the resource.
Stay curious,
Owen Duncan (he/him) | Content Specialist
805-682-4711 ext. 116 | http://www.sbnature.org
very nice, thanks.
You’re very welcome. Maybe I’ll luck out and see one in my garden soon.
Snorky: I sent an email to Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History curators. We should have a definitive i.d. soon. I will post i.d. as soon as I receive it.
thanks!
There are several species of Cat-Faced spiders; not all of them are spiny. The distinguishing feature seems to be the cat ear protuberances on the abdomen. They are a subset of orb weavers.
https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Cat-Faced-Spider
(Even though they’re not insects.)
Good point Anonymous, thanks.
I’m not an “Arachnologist”, best I could discover was: Species Araneus gemmoides – Cat-Faced Spider
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYbaQbH4lMM
…when a spider becomes a friend:
https://outsidebozeman.com/nature/my-cat-faced-charlotte
Thank you for the Charlotte story!
Thank your honoring this pretty little spider.
I always save spiders in the house if possible.
They are all named
either Charlotte or Boris. The Boris ones come out around Halloween!
a day late but this was interesting: “The Legend of the Christmas Spider”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A41DyNb9bqs
Oh & happy “Boxing Day” 🙂
All of mine are named Agnes (the closest that I could get to “arachnid”).
I believe that all the spiders that we normally notice are females, right?
🕷️ 🕸️ 😊
Snoodely: “Arachne.” (pronounced: Uh-rak-nee) What is the original myth of Arachne?
First mentioned by Ovid, the myth follows the fate of Arachne, a weaver so skillful that she was able to challenge Athena/Minerva into a competition. Even though she did not lose, Arachne was brutally beaten and turned into a spider to do what she knows best, to weave.
https://www.thecollector.com › arachne-minerva-myth…
Yeah… I have just researched it further and I would highly agree that it would be the “Cat-faced” spider. Very cool! I just learned something knew! I would still love to hear back from the final result, but either way this was extremely interesting! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Agree, and also interesting to know the mythology of Arachne
Dang, some folks really are into that spider – good on ya. Me, I’d have crushed it because it looks like a biter. Just keeping it real.
I usually have a simple rule, in my house…bye bye…outside, meh…go about your day
We got a BugBuster and it works like a charm. We can catch moths and spiders and whatever and relocate to the Great Outdoors. https://www.amazon.com/Sonic-Technology-Bugbuster-Battery-Operated/dp/B00029XD7Q/ref=sr_1_8?crid=2V96YSO2X9NM8&keywords=bugbuster&qid=1703986253&sprefix=bugbuster%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-8 ——– A 9-volt battery lasts forever in one of these tools. Don’t exterminate — relocate.
Learn some biology/zoology/entomology.
Anon, what are you getting at? I have a BA in Bio and and MA studying insects (I know, here comes a crybaby to claim I’m bragging) but I’m still crushin* that if I find it in my bathroom.
Is that so? You often shovel out comments that show a lack of understanding about those subjects.
On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog. Unless you bark.
Yes, it is so. And I think you’re just upset because I’d crush that spider, and you think that’s terrible. Not everyone always agrees.
“and MA studying insects” – LOL, yeah? Without using Google, what is the name for “studying insects?” Also, UCSB doesn’t have an MA in that field.
Funny how you always seem to have a “degree” in the subjects you get called out on.