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Photo#356752
Spider egg sacs (?) at the Carpinteria Salt Marsh, Carpinteria, CA - Mastophora cornigera

Spider egg sacs (?) at the Carpinteria Salt Marsh, Carpinteria, CA - Mastophora cornigera
Carpinteria Salt Marsh, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara County, California, USA
December 5, 2009
Size: 1.2 cm diameter
I came across this collection of six roughly spherical objects tangled in what appeared to be a spider's web in a dead plant at the Carpinteria Salt Marsh yesterday. There is also some webbing at the point where the branch where these objects are suspended joins the main stalk; perhaps a spider was hiding there? I've never seen anything like this, and have no idea what it is; my best guess is that it's a collection of spider egg sacs. Not an insect, I assume, but I'd be curious if the more-knowledgeable folks here could give their thinking on what this might be. I'll also upload closeups of the spheres, and of the point where the stems joined.

Images of this individual: tag all
Spider egg sacs (?) at the Carpinteria Salt Marsh, Carpinteria, CA - Mastophora cornigera Spider egg sacs (?) at the Carpinteria Salt Marsh - Mastophora cornigera Closeup of spider hiding place (?) near spherical egg sacs (?) - Mastophora cornigera

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Bolas spider egg sacs (Mastophora cornigera)
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This is apparently the only bolas spider in California.
I don't know if that webbing in the crotch of the branch is related.

 
Wow.
That looks exactly like it. What an interesting-looking spider. Thanks!

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