-=Resident Spider=-

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ResidentSadist -> -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 8:47:44 AM)
I spotted this lovely spider in the corner of the patio with a decorated web and wanted to know what it was. I guess it is only appropriate that the Resident Spider would turn out to be a St. Andrew’s Cross Spider (Wiki link), named for its behavior of hanging in an X shape upside down in the web. Last night I dragged everhope outside to show her the spider. When I shined the flashlight on it we saw it going wild, swinging its legs like Ricky Ricardo playing congas while pumping the web violently back and forth. The web decoration was gone but by morning it had rebuilt the silky shoelace pattern. What Ricky the Resident Spider looks like. [img]http://residentsadist.com/pics/spider2.gif[/img] [img]http://residentsadist.com/pics/spider1.gif[/img] I discovered some interesting and beautiful things about spiders in my journey to learn about Ricky the Resident Spider and I thought I might share them with you. Orb Weaver: Cycle of Life Video 10:42 (very touching little mini-doc) The spider that invented the wheel Video 1:43 (I was amazed at this survival trick – smart spider) Spiders on Drugs Video 1:51 (ok . . . I slipped a funny one in) Wiki - decorated web is called stabilimentum

AudaciousLaura -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 8:50:24 AM)
That is intersting. But I'll admit, I hate spiders. As pretty as the spiders are in the pics you provided they still creep me out. Hopefully its something I can get over one day.

Hillwilliam -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 8:51:07 AM)
Golden orb weaver.

LillyBoPeep -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 8:57:19 AM)
golden orb weavers are a little different aren't they? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_silk_orb-weaver back home there's always one with a giant web from the roof of the house to a nearby tree -- no clue how it gets all the way between the two points. we called them "writing spiders" but i don't know their real name. =p sometimes you could see the big zig zags, bu most of the time, you just noticed this giant yellow X-shape hovering in mid-air, and knew to walk AAAAALLLLL THE WAY around. =p they're very pretty.

ResidentSadist -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 9:04:23 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: AudaciousLaura That is intersting. But I'll admit, I hate spiders. As pretty as the spiders are in the pics you provided they still creep me out. Hopefully its something I can get over one day. It's one of the less creepy looking spiders, especially compared to the giant Huntsman spiders we have here in Florida. In my teens I used to have half a dozen tarantula species but I'm not a big spider fan nowadays. I had a Black Widow give birth to thousands of babies in my garage ones. I just don't like bugs very much at all. I haven't killed the spider thanks to everhope, who has become Ricky's advocate'. He may just end up in the Federal Bureau of Spider's witness relocation program if he is lucky. Good thing I have to move a bunch of potted plants, it was hot out when I first spotted him and I was tired. Otherwise you might be reading about "Here lay poor Ricky".

ResidentSadist -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 9:06:13 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LillyBoPeep golden orb weavers are a little different aren't they? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_silk_orb-weaver back home there's always one with a giant web from the roof of the house to a nearby tree -- no clue how it gets all the way between the two points. we called them "writing spiders" but i don't know their real name. =p sometimes you could see the big zig zags, bu most of the time, you just noticed this giant yellow X-shape hovering in mid-air, and knew to walk AAAAALLLLL THE WAY around. =p they're very pretty. Correct, it's not an orb weaver.

windchymes -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 9:18:28 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LillyBoPeep golden orb weavers are a little different aren't they? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_silk_orb-weaver back home there's always one with a giant web from the roof of the house to a nearby tree -- no clue how it gets all the way between the two points. we called them "writing spiders" but i don't know their real name. =p sometimes you could see the big zig zags, bu most of the time, you just noticed this giant yellow X-shape hovering in mid-air, and knew to walk AAAAALLLLL THE WAY around. =p they're very pretty. Um.....Charlotte? [;)]

Daddysredhead -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 9:24:03 AM)
That's what I thought, too, Windy [:D] RS, the pattern on his back looks like little upside down skulls... [:)] hugs to you and everhope... I missed seeing you all when I was in FL

Wolf2Bear -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 9:45:59 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: ResidentSadist I haven't killed the spider thanks to everhope, who has become Ricky's advocate'. He may just end up in the Federal Bureau of Spider's witness relocation program if he is lucky. Good thing I have to move a bunch of potted plants, it was hot out when I first spotted him and I was tired. Otherwise you might be reading about "Here lay poor Ricky". Kudos to everhope!!!!! Shall I come down and protect you from the spiders RS??!!! [:)]

EmilyRocks -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 9:54:36 AM)
quote: no clue how it gets all the way between the two points. They do it by releasing a long strand of silk and letting the breeze carry it until it makes contact with something on the other side. Then they go across that trailing another strand which they then attach where they want the web to be. Knowing things like this is one of the few fringe benefits of living in the middle of nowhere. Watching a spider build it's web passes the otherwise empty hours. It's boring, but it beats huffing gas.

ResidentSadist -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 9:55:00 AM)
quote: Shall I come down and protect you from the spiders RS??!!! . . . and water moccasin snakes in our pond, alligators that hide under your car and bite your (real story in the news), giant 6 foot tall birds with sword like bills that can poke your eye out . . . and most of all, please save me from all these red necks! [:)]

ResidentSadist -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 9:56:24 AM)
quote: RS, the pattern on his back looks like little upside down skulls... They sure do, ain't that cool!

LillyBoPeep -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 10:04:45 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: EmilyRocks quote: no clue how it gets all the way between the two points. They do it by releasing a long strand of silk and letting the breeze carry it until it makes contact with something on the other side. Then they go across that trailing another strand which they then attach where they want the web to be. Knowing things like this is one of the few fringe benefits of living in the middle of nowhere. Watching a spider build it's web passes the otherwise empty hours. It's boring, but it beats huffing gas. i'm from the middle of nowhere, and i've seen other spiders do this, just not these ginormous things. i wonder if wind really could pick it up and carry it that far =p it's not a small distance between the roof and the tree the spider was building to. it was amazing, buuuut... annoying. =p

ResidentSadist -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 10:08:39 AM)
^ Unfortunately, I learned first hand about spiders parachuting on threads of silk. That Black Widow in my garage had thousands of babies and that is how they leave the nest, floating in the breeze on a silk thread. It was "raining" Black Widows everywhere!

LillyBoPeep -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 10:10:09 AM)
[X(] oh geeeeeez, that would freak me the fork out. =p [X(]

EmilyRocks -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 10:14:04 AM)
No, I didn't mean they float on the wind. They let out the silk and the silk is floated across. the spider stays put until the silk connects to something on the other side. Then they go across that thread to build the web. Sort of like how they refuel ships at sea (Discovery Channel!). Send a small line across and then use that to carry the hawsers across, then the fuel pipes and things.

LillyBoPeep -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 10:18:35 AM)
ahhhhh okay gotcha -- THAT would probably explain it. we do get some pretty nice breezes back home. i have seen other smaller spiders go floating, though. =p it's creepy. not quite as many of them as RS was talking about though... eeeeep!!! once a small brown spider built a web in the bed of one of the trucks. i got to watch it take the old, dewy web totally apart, and then build a new one. spiders are pretty snazzy, as long as they're -> -> -> -> over there -> -> ->

NuevaVida -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 10:22:40 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: AudaciousLaura That is intersting. But I'll admit, I hate spiders. As pretty as the spiders are in the pics you provided they still creep me out. Hopefully its something I can get over one day. This. Totally. ::shudders myself outta this thread::

EmilyRocks -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 10:31:46 AM)
quote: spiders are pretty snazzy Most things are when you take the time to just sit and watch them do their thing. Dragonflies are my favorite. They are beautiful. I love watching them zip around over the marsh. I have this idea that it would be really neat to somehow make a graphic controlled by their movements. Sort of tracers or something. I also like watching ants. They are fascinating. LOL See, there really isn't much to do around here for entertainment. [:D]

impishlilhellcat -> RE: -=Resident Spider=- (8/15/2011 11:45:47 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LillyBoPeep ahhhhh okay gotcha -- THAT would probably explain it. we do get some pretty nice breezes back home. i have seen other smaller spiders go floating, though. =p it's creepy. not quite as many of them as RS was talking about though... eeeeep!!! once a small brown spider built a web in the bed of one of the trucks. i got to watch it take the old, dewy web totally apart, and then build a new one. spiders are pretty snazzy, as long as they're -> -> -> -> over there -> -> -> THIS I have this weird morbid fascination with spiders. Meaning they scare the living bejeesus out of me and gross me out, but I really like watching videos and seeing pictures of them.

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