Triangle-bearing Orbweaver

I spent much of yesterday at a place that I've often written about - Cedar Bog, the legendary natural area in Champaign County, Ohio. While I often visit for photographic purposes, yesterday was "work". At the request of Erika Galentin of the Herbal Academy, I was there to help with production of a video about pollinators, along with videographer Ryan Gebura. We spent five hours covering a mile of boardwalk, finding many interesting things along the way and frequently pausing to film narrated vignettes of some aspect of flora and fauna. I do not envy Ryan has task of having to distill all of that material into an hour video!

One of the cool things we stumbled into was a Triangle-bearing Orbweaver, Verrucosa arenata. These charismatic little spiders are quite showy in certain lights and angles; in others, they are a mimic of something quite unpalatable, as we shall see.

I saw this splotch on a ninebark leaf some ways down the trail, and from afar it looked astonishingly like a bird dropping. Being somewhat wise to the vast pool of organisms that excel in looking like avian expulsions, I investigated more closely.

And sure enough, no Blue Jay offal here - it was a huddled Triangle-bearing Orbweaver, hiding in plain sight. The animal's upper abdominal surface is shiny white, as if it was glazed with ceramic. The mixture of pale and dark pigments, coupled with the spider's habit of scrunching into a compact ball, creates an astonishingly good likeness of bird scat, at least at first glance. Why look like a bird dropping? Because, apparently few predators have any interest in such fare, so wearing a fecal disguise allows one to escape the notice of those that might otherwise do harm.

I wanted to gaze into the little spider's eight eyes, and here they are. I love the repeating patterns of triangular geometry in this beast. At least when in repose, nearly every view from any angle produces triangles.

This spider was just one of a great many interesting animals that we found on this day, and most cooperated well enough that Ryan was able to film them, often while I narrated. Although the spider is not a pollinator, we talked much about the web of life that develops around high quality floristically diverse habitats. Lots of flowers draw lots of pollinators. Lots of pollinators attract lots of predators, such as this spider. And up the food chain it goes, with much of this life sparked by flowers and their need to lure pollinators.

Spiders in your face

Anyone who strolls woodland paths in late summer probably knows all about this type of spider web. It is the creation of the spined micrathena, Micrathena gracilis. These orbweavers have a penchant for building their sizeable silken traps at head level across openings in woods. The proliferation of spined micrathena webs has prompted many a hiker to pick up a stick and use it to flail the air in front of them as they proceed on their journey, batting the webs down before they get a face full of silk.

Next time, before batting the web into oblivion, pause and look in the center. There'll be a funny little object that looks more like a piece of debris than it does a spider. This is the micrathena, engineer of this incredible structure. Unlike many spider species, micrathenas are active during the day and if not disturbed remain on sentinel duty in the center of their web.

If you've got the inclination, move in for a really close look. Spined micrathenas are quite bizarre in appearance, with an enormous humped back armed with several thornlike spines. One theory is that this daunting structure serves to protect the spider from bird predators, who might have issue with trying to consume such a thorny morsel.

If threatened, the micrathena has another trick up its sleeve. Next time you see one, gently tap it on the back with your finger. It will instantly launch itself unerringly and with incredible rapidity straight at your neck, and expertly pierce your jugular vein and drain you of all blood within seconds. Just kidding. What the spider will do is begin a rapid back and forth swaying, shaking the web as if it is bouncing on a trampoline and thus becoming a blur of motion. That stunt may be an attempt to either frighten off would-be predators or perhaps make it harder for them to capture the spider.

If you're really lucky, perhaps you'll walk face first into one of these. Triangle-bearing orbweavers, Verrucosa arenata, also build webs in wooded areas, sometimes in places where one might walk right into them. While not rare, this species is typically far outnumbered by micrathenas.

Another diurnally active spider, the curious-looking triangle-bearing orbweaver also sits tight in the center of its web. Because of that pale triangular carapace, the spider stands out from afar and if you are careful in your approach, you can work your way in for a very close view. Note how the spider hangs with head pointing upwards. This is not the norm; most spiders that hang in webs do so with head pointing downward.

Triangle-bearing orbweavers are truly beautiful spiders. The oddly shaped body can be yellow, cream-colored such as the animal in this photo, or white. This is definitely one to watch for when you are out and about in the woods.