There’s a very large orb weaver who builds a net every morning on the outside of my desk window. Recently, he has been joined by a second and third one. This morning, they built three webs simultaneously, sandwiched one behind the other:
Orb weavers don’t generally like to share their spaces, so how is it that three of them are hanging out and building webs in the same square foot of space?
They’re building on different planes. One net is on the outside of the window frame, one is between the storm window and the regular window pane, and the third one is between the inner window pane and the screen insert. All three orb weavers are separated by layers of glass and screen. When they all get busy at the same time, it makes for a neat display, though. It looks like there’s a three-spider team building the Mother of All Nets.
I will say this, though…the third spider is awfully optimistic. He’s counting on catching all the flies and bugs that make it past the first two nets.
Always fun to catch some house flys and fling them into the net.
Al T – you are so right! A few years ago I had a tarantula collection, including a few that were arboreal. We have horses, so horse flies are all too common. Catching them and popping them into the terrarium led to some interesting interactions with the Big-T’s. Even more gratifying than simply smashing the horse flies with the palm of your hand.
there wouldn’t be a soft glow baiting prey to that window, through the night?
The little spider that could.
So, does that make your window a…
wait for it…
yeah, it’s bad…
WEBSITE?
I really am sorry for that. It’s been a long day.