This spiny orb weaver, Gasteracantha cancriformis, is a most welcome spider in my garden. On this particular morning, the sunlight was just right for capturing her lovely web. The intricacies of this creation are amazing.
She eats mosquitos, flies, moths, and other flying prey that are trapped by her web. The tufts of silk on the supporting strands are flags to warn away birds and other larger animals that might break her web. The spiny orb weaver is a pretty spider with her orange spines and black and white spotted crab-shaped body.
The supporting strands of this web are woven between the lower branches of the oak tree and the top of the butterfly ginger, a distance of at least four feet. The center circle is about eighteen inches in diameter. It's like having custom-made mosquito netting that is perfectly suited for the shady corner garden.
Oh yes, this beneficial spider is welcome to make her home here at My Garden Path.
