Some people get creeped out by spiders, but many of them are quite beautiful, like this tiny Orchard Orbweaver spider (Leucauge venusta) that I spotted on Wednesday in Prince William County. The sun was shining brightly on the shiny body of the spider, so I underexposed the image intentionally, which is why it looks so dark in the photo—the background was green in real life. I was also leaning my lens against a branch for stability, since even the slightest movement at such close range can blur an image.
Orchard Orbweavers are really common where I live, but I suspect that most people do not look closely enough at them to see their beautiful colors. According to the LSU AgCenter, “Orchard spiders are .13 to .3 inches (3.5 to 7.5 mm) in length, with females typically larger than males.” I believe that the aforementioned measurements are for the body alone and do not include the legs.
In addition to capturing some of the beautiful colors of the Orchard Orbweaver, I was thrilled to capture a look at the web of the spider. These webs are much smaller and compact than the webs of some of the larger orbweaver spiders in our area, which is a good thing, because many of these webs seem to be built across paths and I often run into them face-first.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Since I started to make pictures of then from time to time, I started to appreciate spiders more than before.
I love all spiders, but the orchard orb weavers are a favorite. We have lots of them here, too. When the sun hits them right they just glow with all those gorgeous colors. Very nice capture of one of my faves!
I am glad to see that I am not the only one who loves these little spiders. The assortment of colors is simply spectacular, especially, as you noted, when this light is coming from a good angle.
No, you’re not the only one who appreciates these beautiful little guys. Whenever I post spiders I get a few “ugh”s or “oh not me” comments, but I also always talk to people like us that really love them.
Beautifully colored, that spider. Nice shot.
Wow, Mike! This is an exceptional portrait of a stunningly beautiful spider. Amazing work!
Thanks, Laura. There is something so special about taking macro photos–the world in miniature is amazingly beautiful.
Fantastic detail. IT is so easy to miss the wonderful colouring.