What interesting creatures live in your garden?

[Pulsegleaner]

Around here, we sometimes see Yellow Orb weavers, which may possibly be even BIGGER, that is, I'm fairly sure that they ARE even bigger, but since they are more elongated , which is bigger is up for debate (it's sort of like the argument for about the largest modern lizard. Technically, Salvadori's Monitor from New Guinea is the LONGEST lizard on earth, at up to 12 ft. However the Komodo Dragon is considered the LARGEST since while it only gets a maximum on ten feet, it is much more stockily built than the rather slender Salvadori's (most of who's length is its long tail)

Then of course there are the spiny orb weavers. Those tend not to be all that scary, since they are pretty small. But that spine covered abdomen of theirs is certainly impressive looking, and would be terrifying if the spider was scaled up (and indeed, doing a little research there are a lot of foreign Spiny Orb weaver species that are a LOT bigger than the one we have in the Northeast US)

 

[journey11]

Yikes! That is a mammoth spider! I'm not generally scared of spiders but that one gives me the willys just looking at my screen.
It's a pretty color though.

I thought it was quite pretty too, once I got a closer look at it. I was wearing a safety orange colored t-shirt tonight, so I'm glad it didn't climb up the back of my chair--it might not have gotten noticed!

It's a slow moving spider, not jumpy or aggressive, or poisonous, thank goodness!

@Pulsegleaner , I sure do see a lot of yellow orbweavers around here. Their zig-zagged web is very noticeable and I spot them often in the garden or out in the open, like in fields. Those are quite big too and this one is about the same in diameter from the tip of the legs, however its abdomen was what surprised me. I measured it at 5/8ths of an inch wide and 7/8ths of an inch long. Had it not been moving, I would have thought it was a plastic kid's toy. Unreal!

 

[sumi]

Creepy, but very pretty!

 

[thistlebloom]

I was looking at your spidey again @journey11 , and the organization of the patterns on his back are wonderful. Isn't it awesome that the Creator even gave insects such beautiful details?

edited to add insects and arachnids .

 

[ninnymary]

I'm not afraid of spiders. I think a lot of them have such pretty colors.

Mary

 

[Nyboy]

I get a secret thrill, when ever I see my nephew or his friends jump and run away from a spider.

 

[thistlebloom]

 

[journey11]

I was looking at your spidey again @journey11 , and the organization of the patterns on his back are wonderful. Isn't it awesome that the Creator even gave insects such beautiful details?

edited to add insects and arachnids .

We have a fella who comes to our Creation Club each summer and brings his collection of over 3000 insects and does an awesome visual presentation for us. The variety of colors, patterns, form and function in insects is mind-boggling. Savannah and I stayed up late watching in fascination as the spider, who we named "Pumpkin", attached lines of her thread across the bug box we put her in. That's what I kept thinking as I sat there, what an amazing artist God is.

 

[Carol Dee]

I get a secret thrill, when ever I see my nephew or his friends jump and run away from a spider.

LOL (I am sure I would join you , but laugh out loud!)

 

[Carol Dee]

I've never seen one of these before, although I guess they are supposed to be somewhat common--Marbled Orbweaver. It was crawling up the back of my friend's chair. I could not believe it was real! I am not usually scared of creepy-crawlies, but this one freaked me out at first. After I quit hyperventilating, I caught it in a jar to show my niece tomorrow.

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WOW that is one COOL spider!