her Charlotte, though E.B. White might not approve. Photo by
the author.
We discovered huge-and growing- spiders and their webs in our garden last fall. This year, a new comer and particularly friendly female has taken up residence, her web all but blocking our front door. That’s her picture above. But there are at least six other females in our yard just now. All have woven enormous webs that seem to be efficient at ensnaring bugs -or hapless humans who fail to watch out.
These are especially beautiful, brightly colored insects and appear to be more than three inches long. They also have an unusually shaped body for a spider. Before they mature and their colors manifest themselves, they look similar to other large spiders. (We have seen other large spiders that are black and yellow and friends have told me they are Banana Spiders. I cannot confirm this identification.)
Three inches?Small you say? Wait till one surprises you on a morning stroll. It will remind you of all those old movies about tarantulas, scorpions, flies and humans who, after being exposed to radioactive material, are transformed into fifty foot monsters.
Actually, they seem harmless and, anyway (I am thinking), who in their right mind would pick up a spider? As in last year’s “scare,” no children or small pets are reported missing in our neighborhood. And, anything that eats flying insects can’t be all bad.
Keep your eye open for these creatures. I suppose I have a paternal feeling toward them since they are displaced and living in a new place hundreds, perhaps thousands of miles from home. Nature will take its course and the giant mother will succumb to the cold weather and we will not see them for another year.
PS: I have seen two armadillos killed on roads near our home in Pickens County, Georgia. My first encounters with them occurred in 1983 when they reached South Georgia. I suspect the armadillos and the Joros will be around as long as they can endure the rising temperatures in North Georgia.
Thanks for this one, Joe. It’s always nice to catch up with the joro spirders that seem to enjoy living round and about your home. Oh, and the Armadillos as well, of course.
George,
I think that our isolation during Covid has helped hone our curiosity and observational skills. The joros are evidently nonagressive and harmless to humans. Anything that eats mosquitos is our friend.
Joe
Yikes!! I’m not a fan of spiders, and hesitated before I even clicked on the photo. I will leave you to your spiders. None for me, thanks! Beautiful colors, indeed…LOL!
Pam,
Thanks for reading. We are costantly amazed by how nature finds its way into our little garden in the woods- neighbors send us photos of black bears and we see foxes frequently. Red tail hawks battling with the crows, piliated woodpeckers tapping at their reflection on our windows and blue birds nesting and rearing their young, all keep us connected to nature.
Joe