On Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I watched with fascination as this spider (maybe a Marbled Orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus) spider) worked on her web. She seemed to have started with the spokes coming out of the middle and was adding the ribs when I photographed her.
If you look closely in the first image, you can actually see the web material coming out of one of her spinnerets, the organs in which a spider produces the different kinds of silk that make up a web. I tried to figure our her process as I observed her. It looks like she would produce a length of silk, maneuver it into place on one of the spokes with one or more of her legs, affix it in place, and then start the process over again. For the final image, I moved back a little to give you a somewhat better view of more of the web and a sense of its shape.
I have photographed spiderwebs many times before, but this was the first time that I watched one being built. My admiration for the skills and artistry of spiders continues to grow—they are simply amazing.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Hi Mike. Very clever post title and great photo. Best, Babsje
Thanks. I thought of the title when I was downsizing the image for posting and the menu option was labeled “Save for web.”
Perfect! 😎
They spin a material science is still studying for its strength and durability. Last I heard, we have not been able to replicate it!
She’s very pretty. I too love to watch webs being built. It’s mesmerising to watch and I have found myself rooting for spiders who are struggling to bridge some gaps.
Very impressive.
She is beautiful!
Never seen a spider with that coloring, it’s beautiful.
Stunning colours on the body! Love the details in the web.
I was fortunate that this spider was in an accessible location and was preoccupied with her construction, so I was able to move in close for some shots with my macro lens. She was in motion much of the time, though, which made it tough to keep her (and the web) in focus. When you are that close, there is very little margin for error because the depth of field is so shallow.
Very Nice Mike! Love the detail!