Long-jawed Orbweaver

Living upside down over water, the Long-jawed Orbweaver is distinctive in looks and style.

It is long, slender, and translucent throughout. It blends in well with water, plants, and twigs. Its web is quite open, like most orbweavers, but it keeps its egg sacs well-protected in tough, stringy bundles near the web's edge.

There are several species of Long-jawed Orbweavers throughout the United States. There are at least 15 known, but this one is likely a specialized species due to its open nature. I found this one on a bridge above a small creek. It wasn't near plants, and the web was larger than I thought it should be. If you know the exact species, I would appreciate it.

Order:
Araneae

Family:
Tetragnathidae

Shamrock Orbweaver

Counting down two weeks until Halloween, I'm going to start posting some creepier pictures... well, I'll start posting pictures of spiders!

I'll start you out with the Shamrock Orbweaver. It's set apart from other Orbweavers by its greenish tint, orange, translucent legs, and the whitish "shamrock" pattern (although it's just a series of spots) on its back. They make large, open webs in bushes or brushes along marsh edges and in tall grasses.

Scientific name:
Araneus trifolium

Skimmer on leaves...

Okay, here's another game. Where is the Common Whitetail Skimmer?

It's near the center of the picture. Hard to see, isn't it? Well, the reason is due to its unique camouflage which helps it blend in with decaying leaves. Why would this be of use? Well, because the skimmer seeks out water, the natural landscape includes multitudes of dead or decaying plants. Also, many underwater plants are muddy, stringy, and good places to hide eggs. The female, if you remember my earlier post, is a dark brown. She will blend in with the areas she needs to lay her eggs.

The males blend in with the water below. This makes them less vulnerable to overhead attacks from birds.

Scientific name:
Libellula lydia