Arachnids

Green Lynx Spider

The Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans) is a large, bright green spider that can be found on many shrub-like plants throughout the Southern United States, it is the largest North American lynx spider. It is common throughout Florida and will aggressively attack its insect prey but will very rarely bite humans. Lynx spiders in general, are an essential predator of crop-damaging insects, making them an interest for agricultural pest management. However, their usefulness in controlling pest insects is also contradicted by their willingness to prey on beneficial insects.
The female is large, measuring 12 to 22 mm long; the average is 16 mm. Males are a bit smaller and more slender, with the average length being 12 mm. The cephalothorax is highest in the eye region, where it is narrow but broadens out considerably behind. The body is transparent and bright green; usually, there is a red patch between the eyes and red spots on the body. Numbers and sizes vary between individuals. The eye region is covered with little hairs. The legs are pale green to yellow and are quite long and thin with very long, black spines and numerous black spots. Green lynxes are diurnal hunters; they are very agile and can leap from place to place with great precision. Their keen eyesight can be compared to that of wolf and fishing spiders. Their method of hunting is to pause and wait to catch their prey; they do not use webs to capture prey.
Photo Credit: Lynn Marie
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon
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Banana Spider

Banana Spider AKA Golden Silk Orbweaver
The Golden Silk Orbweaver (Nephila clavipes) also known as the Banana Spider is one of the largest non-tarantula spiders in North America. It is the only species of its genus that lives in the western hemisphere and is found in Florida, across the gulf, up to North Carolina, and other southern countries in South America.
Golden Silk Orbweaver webs can measure over 3 feet in diameter and are normally created in forest clearings and can often stretch across trails. The webs trap prey, and their primary diet of this orb weaver consists of a variety of insects.
Females can reach up to an inch to an inch and a half. Their body is orange and brown with black feathery turfs on their legs. Males are distinctly different from females, they are much smaller at around a quarter of an inch in diameter, and their body is brown. Males are seen from July to September waiting for females to mature around August for a chance to mate with them. Males can be seen sitting around the female until she is ready to mate, and multiple males can occupy one web. They will fight each other to have a chance to mate with some even losing legs. Females will produce at least two egg sacks after mating. Each sack can contain hundred of eggs! The sacks can measure about a tenth of an inch and are covered in thick golden silk.
Despite their impressive size and bright color, they are not dangerous to humans. Golden Silk Orbweavers are not venomous and will only bite if they are being held. Banana Spiders can be observed year-round in Florida, though autumn is the best time to view them. If you spot them, remember to keep a safe distance and never intentionally disturb their webs. Spiders of all shapes and sizes play an important ecological role in Florida’s natural and developed areas.
Photo Credit: Andy Waldo
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon
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Red-femured Spotted Orbweaver Spider

The Red-femured Spotted Orbweaver Spider, Neoscona domiciliorum, is one of the larger orb weavers in Florida. Males grow to less than .6 of an inch while females grow to a whopping 3/4 of an inch. These beautiful spiders are easy to identify with their red femora (thighs) and banded legs.
Red-femured Spotted Orbweaver Spiders are common in moist woodlands throughout Florida. Look for them perched head down in their webs. Orb weavers play an important role in our ecosystems because they consume a variety of insects. Their bites are not known to cause serious harm to humans.
Photo Credit: Lynn Marie
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Banded Garden Spider

Banded Garden Spiders, Argiope trifasciata, are large spiders native to North and South America. They produce webs throughout bushy areas. Females are larger than males who will construct a smaller web next to a female. Prey consists of larger insects such as wasps.
Sometimes, webs are found with designs inside called stabilimenta. Many theories exist as to why stabilimenta are created but researchers have found the designs reduce the amount of prey caught in the web nut decrease potential damage to the web.
Photo credit: Aymee Laurain
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Northern Crab Spider

The Northern crab spider, Mecaphesa asperata, can be found throughout central and north America and the Caribbean. These little spiders use flowers to camouflage themselves and will prey on insects visiting flowers such as aphids, spider mites, moths, aphids, bees, wasps, and flies. Females lay eggs in the folds of some leaves and will guard the eggs by remaining nearby.
Photo credit: Aymee Laurain
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Silver Garden Orbweaver

Silver Garden Orbweavers, Argiope argentata, are arachnids that are commonly found in yards, gardens, and parks. Look for them waiting in the center of their intricate web, head down, for a meal of insects including mosquitos. Look closely and you may find a Dewdrop Spider sharing the web.
Females are larger at up to 3 inches with legs spread out and more striking in color. After mating, they will kill and sometimes eat the male
Photo Credit: Dan Kon
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Dewdrop Spider

Tiny Dewdrop Spiders (Argyrodes sp.) are easy to miss. Nature has designed their abdomens to reflect light and appear to be a dewdrop glimmering in the sun.

Dewdrop spiders do not spin their own webs. Instead, they perch on the outer edge of a larger spider’s web. Once an insect is captured in the web, the tiny Dewdrop Spider will wait patiently until the host spider leaves the web before moving in to steal a bit of the prey.

Dewdrop spiders are aptly known as kleptoparasites.

Photo Credit: Andy Waldo

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Regal Jumping Spider

Regal Jumping Spiders (Phidippus regius) are cute little fuzzy spiders typically found around immature woodland habitats. They can also be found hanging out on your windshield. Black and white features identify males. Females are grey or brown in color. These spiders may be expert jumpers, but they also produce a dragline in case they miss their target.

Males perform a romantic dance to woo the females. They show off their handsome leg fringe and bright metallic green chelicerae. If the lady is impressed, they will cohabitate in dried leaves such as old palm fronds. When the mating time arrives, the male does another type of romantic dance that is different from his courtship dance. During this dance, he shows off his dance moves and then plays a game of peek-a-boo with the female through the tent-like web. Once the female allows him in, he softly pets her several times before mating occurs. Quite the charmer, isn’t he?

When it comes time to lay eggs, the female will produce several nests under pine and oak trees. Several hundred eggs can be laid during this time. Babies will consume small invertebrates. While they may strike fear into other insects, they are relatively harmless to humans. Rough handling of the spiders may prompt a bite that can sting for several minutes before subsiding.

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Giant Whip Scorpion

The Giant Whip Scorpion (Vinegaroon, Mastigoproctus giganteus) is the only whip scorpion with a tail found in the United States. Whip refers to its long thin tail. Vinegaroon is derived from the vinegar scent created by a spray of concentrated (85%) acetic acid that emanates from the base of the tail.

The Vinegaroon, an arachnid, can grow to 2 inches long. It does not have a stinger filled with venom like other scorpions. They have eight rather weak eyes. Nature has provided them with long, thin front legs to use as antennae to feel their food and a tail, which serves as a sensory organ. They make their homes underground in well-drained soil. You will see them most often when they come to the surface during the rainy season.

After a 12-hour mating ritual in autumn, the female will carry the eggs internally for several months before laying 30 to 40 eggs into an egg sac. She will remain in her burrow for 2 months while holding the egg sac off the ground. Once hatched, the white-colored babies and will ride on their mother’s back for about 30 days. After their first molt, the babies look like adults and will leave their mother. Before becoming adults, the new Vinegaroons will molt three more times at intervals of about one year. Life expectancy is 7-8 years.

Giant Whip Scorpions dine on Florida woods roaches, termites, and crickets. They catch their prey with their large pincers and kill them by crushing them with their teeth. Vinegaroons make tasty treats for raccoons, armadillos, skunks, feral hogs, and black bears.

If threatened, the Giant Whip Scorpion will either hide in its burrow or rear up and spread its legs. They may spray a vinegar scented acid, which will accurately hit their enemy up to a foot away. The spray packs a mighty sting to the predator’s nostrils and eyes. If handles, they pack a powerful pinch.

 

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Red Widow Spider

Red Widow Spiders (Latrodectus bishopi), although endemic to Florida, live in a limited range. Red Widow Spiders can be found in Lake Wales Ridge and other Central and Southern Florida areas. The Spider lives in sand pine scrub habitats and makes its homes in palmettos and other shrubs. Red Widow Spiders are listed as a Threatened Species due to the destruction of habit.

A Red Widow will bind together palmetto leaves with silk to mate, hide, and guard her eggs. The egg sac, which is smooth and white, is deposited inside the silk-lined rolled frond. She binds the tips of the palmetto fronds, and her web becomes invisible during the day. The web can only be seen on foggy mornings.

The web looks like a cobweb sheet with snare lines. An insect will fly into the snares and fall to the sheet. The Spider will rush out to retrieve her prey. She will eat insects of all kinds caught in the web but primarily feasts on beetles endemic to the area in the spring. Bees and wasps are favorites during the rest of the year. Although the male is capable of hunting his own prey, he will most often eat the prey provided by the female.

The Red Widow’s abdomen is black with red dots bordered with yellow. Its head, legs, and thorax are red-orange. The female is 1/2 an inch with a leg span of 1/2 to 2 inches. The male is 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the female.

Although the female’s venom is a neurotoxin that causes sustained muscle spasms, very few bites and no deaths have been attributed to the Red Widow Spider. These spiders are rarely encountered and only bite when touched. Wear gloves when lifting firewood or picking up wood and other items in areas where spiders may be living. Red Widows have been known to make their homes in sheds and garages. If a Red Widow Spider bites you, seek medical attention.

Photo Credit: freshfromflorida.com/es/Divisions-Offices/Plant-Industry/Plant-Industry-Publications/Pest-Alerts/Venomous-Spiders-in-Florida.

 

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Golden Silk Orb Weaver

The Golden Silk Orb-Weaver (Trichonephila clavipes) is dreaded by hikers and bikers in the forest. Their sticky, golden webs, which can measure 6 1/2 feet in diameter, are spun in insect flight paths in open woods and at the edge of dense forests. You may run into them in your yard, where they are spun between trees and dense shrubs. The large webs catch flies, bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, male orb-weavers, and more. The prey is devoured by the spider, who is waiting patiently on the web.

Golden Silk Orb-Weavers are also known as Banana Spiders because of their yellow coloring. Their color variation, complete with furry-looking tufts on their legs, helps them blend into the forest. They are also known as Giant Wood Spiders because the females’ bodies are more than 1 1/2 inches and, including legs, can measure up to 5 inches in diameter. Males are significantly smaller, with bodies at about 1/4 of an inch.

The small males come out to mate between July and September. The females produce at least two egg sacs per year but have been known to produce up to nine. Each sac contains a few hundred eggs. The female often eats the male after mating.

Climate change has mildly affected these spiders’ behavior. Still, they have adapted by creating reflective carapaces and turning the cylindrical parts of their bodies towards the sun to reduce the heated body surface. They also reduce heat by holding a drop of water in their chelicerae (mouth-part) and allowing it to evaporate. This has allowed them to adapt very well to their environment.

The next time these little ones give you a scare, take a few minutes to appreciate their hard work. Golden Silk Orb-Weavers play an important role in our ecosystems. Orange and pecan farmers appreciate their cooperation in keeping pests away from harvests. These fascinating spiders provide insect control in our wild spaces and our yards.

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Black and Yellow Garden Spider

Here’s a little girl that many people will be quick to recognize. She’s a young black and yellow garden spider. These spiders range all across the United States and up into Canada as well as south into Mexico and Central America. The spiderlings emerge in spring from egg sacs laid the prior year.

The dense zigzag of silk in the middle of the web is known as the stabilimentum. The true purpose of this structure is in dispute. Some say it is to provide camouflage to the spider resting in the center. Others think it acts as an attractant to insect prey or a deterrent to birds who could fly into the nest and damage it. Every night, the female eats the center of her web and then rebuilds it in the morning.

Their bites are comparable to a bee sting and are harmless to healthy adults and those who are not allergic to their venom. They maintain a clean and orderly web and help remove loads of insects. They are great to have around and are a truly beautiful arachnid. We hope everyone gets a chance to get out this weekend and enjoy the outdoors!

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Black-Tailed Red Sheet Weaver

The black-tailed red sheet weaver (Florinda coccinea.) These spiders get their name from the black cerebellum or tail and the webs they weave, which resemble a sheer material. They have two different parts of their web. The top part is intended to knock flying insects down, and the bottom sheet catches them in a non-sticky web where the spider attacks the prey. They can be instrumental in controlling flying bugs in your yard and are even encouraged as a pest control method in agriculture. They were historically popular among Florida orange groves.

The spiders can be found upside down in their webs. Typically, males are either the same size or smaller than the female. Smaller males can sometimes be seen on the same web as larger females. Both take part in creating the web and cleaning it. Talk about the perfect couple.

Mating can get a bit complex, though. The courtship ritual of these spiders consists of 18 different behaviors ranging from reduction of the web to the act of copulation. Spider sex can be a bit weird. The females first release their sex hormones onto the net. The male finds the female and reduces the web to prevent other males from reaching her. If the female approves of the male, she positions herself. If the male tries to mate without permission, there is a good chance the female may eat him. Mating is not done like most animals. The male deposits his sperm packets onto the web and then uses his pedipalps to place the packets into the female’s sex organs. They are stored near the ovaries until the female decides to lay eggs.

Next time someone tells you science is boring, tell them about the black-tailed red sheet weaver, and maybe they will start watching more nature and less TV!

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Mabel Orchard Orb Weaver

The Mabel Orchard Orb Weaver (Leucauge mabela) is common throughout Florida. It is one of the prime examples of evolutionary adaption, being that it has adapted to a wide range of habitats and climates. It can be found as far north as Canada and as far south as Columbia. Reproduction is similar to most spiders, where sperm packets are transferred, but the females can be very particular about their mates. If specific behaviors are not followed, it could mean the male gets eaten.

These spiders are efficient at pest control and have been historically welcomed in agriculture to reduce pests that would otherwise destroy crops. They are also very effective against mosquitoes. However, they become prey to many bird species. They are also hosts for wasp larvae. Wasps may paralyze the spiders and lay their eggs on them. As the wasp larvae grow, they feed off the body of these spiders.

Perhaps one of the most notable facts about this spider is that it is the only spider family to receive its nomenclature from Charles Darwin. Darwin first discovered a spider in Brazil during his voyage on the H.M.S. Beagle. It didn’t fit into any previously noted genus, so he classified it under Leucauge. This has become one of the larges groups of spiders currently documented. This is greatly due to its ability to adapt successfully to a changing environment through natural selection. This has lead to various species of these spiders. The one discovered by Darwin was named Leucauge argyrobapta. This species, Leucauge mabela likely selected for traits that helped it adapt to a different environment.

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