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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynes » Orb Weavers (Araneidae) » Furrow spiders (Larinioides) » Gray Cross Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)

Photo#138922

Copyright © 2007 Tom Shermer

Orb weaver - Larinioides sclopetarius

New Westminster, Vancouver area, British Columbia, Canada
August 22, 2007
Size: body approx. 20mm

I came across this spider at dusk. At first I thought it was a Cross Spider (Araneus diadematus), but when I looked a bit closer the black-and-cream markings didn't seem to be the same as our usual Cross (the dark-and-light-brown ones), which are terribly abundant here. Is this another phase of the Cross, or something different?

Any idea what's all wrapped up and tasty? It was the odd shape of the prey that first attracted my attention.

Images of this individual: tag all

Orb weaver - Larinioides sclopetarius

Orb weaver - Larinioides sclopetarius

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Contributed by Tom Shermer on 23 August, 2007 - 12:01am
Last updated 1 September, 2007 - 12:27pm

Moved

Moved from Spiders.

… Jeff Hollenbeck, 1 September, 2007 - 12:27pm

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Nice photo!

And a beautiful spider! Maybe the wrapped insect is a damselfly.

… Carol Davis, 23 August, 2007 - 1:29am

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The spider appears to be

an orb weaver in the genus Larinioides. See

… john and jane balaban, 31 August, 2007 - 8:52pm

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Thanks

Thanks for the help, everyone. Definitely looks like Larinioides sclopetarius.

I'm now thinking that the tube hanging down isn't part of dinner at all; I think it's a molted leg of the spider.

… Tom Shermer, 1 September, 2007 - 3:23pm

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Not

a molted leg.
Looks more like the abdomen of a dragonfly or other similar flying insect.

… Jeff Hollenbeck, 1 September, 2007 - 10:21pm

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Thanks, Jeff. In the second

Thanks, Jeff. In the second photo, which I just added, that part looked thin and transparent/translucent in places to me, which is why I thought it might not be an abdomen. The big ball part of the prey also looked out-of-proportion (large) for the damsels and dragons that we have around here (we have no big darners or such in the area).

Perhaps I've misjudged the main part of the prey, and the wings are all balled up in there with the head and thorax, so its not as solid as I'm imagining.

Is it the spider's digestive fluids that are making the orange and red colors on the ball of the prey? I don't know of anything local with those colors.

Thanks again.

… Tom Shermer, 2 September, 2007 - 1:51am

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You

are right, Tom.
That is a wing, not an abdomen. It is more obvious to me in the other image.
Now I wonder if it is a beetle or something?

… Jeff Hollenbeck, 2 September, 2007 - 10:08am

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