Some of the most interesting spiders are the Orb Weavers - and lucky for us they are some of the most pervasive. Nearly 3000 species exist, and you can find orb weavers on every continent (except Antarctica).
The Orb Weaver above, called a Western Spotted Orb Weaver (Neoscona oaxacensis) has been hanging out in our front yard near a light. Like many orb weavers, it spins a new web each day after consuming the old web. It is amazing to see the speed and agility of the spider as it spins the web.
The Western Spotted Orb Weaver's coloration and patterns are known to vary quite a bit. The one above is quite pale, while the one below has a very vivid pattern.
As always, be sure to click on the photos for a full size view. And for fans of macro photos, check out Macro Mondays, where people of many skill levels and interests contribute macro photos.
I've also created a new label for my macros posted here. Be sure to check it out and catch up on past macros.
Thank you for the beautiful pictures! I am searching for 1) the golden-tan orb weaver that was in my backyard and 2) info on whether a bird may have eaten said spider. The web has a huge hole in the middle and the spider is not in the clump of leaves above the web where it usually hid. I would love to know if someone has seen a bird actually fly through a web to grab one of these large spiders. There are plenty of birds in my yard. Thank you for your consideration!