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Photo#1008089
Round, Twisted web anchored to grass - Mangora gibberosa

Round, Twisted web anchored to grass - Mangora gibberosa
Piney woods between Lumberton and Silsbee, Hardin County, Texas, USA
October 8, 2014
Size: 6-7 inches
I know this is not a spider, but I am having trouble describing this WEB to people. I went out early in the morning while there was still dew on the ground and found several webs 6 to 10 inches across that were basically round but TWISTED along an axis. They were fascinating, but no one can understand my descriptions without seeing the pictures! Any help?
As Always, Thank You Very Much!

Images of this individual: tag all
Round, Twisted web anchored to grass - Mangora gibberosa Round, Twisted web anchored to grass - Mangora gibberosa Round, Twisted web anchored to grass - Mangora gibberosa

county field needs correction, reads "Southeast Texas County"

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

The last image is definitely Mangora gibberosa
as Charley indicated earlier.

Yes,
we also would have said orb weaver, genus Mangora

Interesting!
I had a hunch based on the webs, and zooming in on the spider seems to confirm my suspicion that it is a Mangora--possibly M. gibberosa, but there may be others in Texas that look similar. It would be great if you could add a photo or two that are cropped down to the spider, so others can see (only editors can view the full-resolution photos). I think the twisted shape of the webs is an artifact of their having been made in grass, rather than a characteristic of the species, but it is a neat effect in any case.

 
cool webs, paranoid spiders
I took your advice and looked up images of the Mangora species. The mangora acalypha is the spider I saw. I may not have gotten any good pictures of the spiders, but I recognize them from the photos online.
THANK YOU Charley, you have been a huge help!
I just LOVE my cool little spiders, and other creepy crawling little friends!!!

 
Close up of Spiders
I will try to get some close ups tomorrow morning.
The pictures I sent WERE my Zoomed in pictures and my camera would not allow me to zoom in any closer.
My problem was that whenever the spiders saw me coming, if I got too close they went to the middle of the web and dropped straight down and out of sight!
Boy are they paranoid!
But I am more than happy to try to get pictures of the SPIDERS tomorrow.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

 
webs in grass
I went out early this morning but couldn't find ANY webs in the grass at all.
It was overcast, so there was no bright sun shining off the dew, AND the grass had been mowed.
I walked all around my yard and the pasture but couldn't find any.
I will keep trying every morning this week, but after that I will have to give it up.
I will also see if anyone I know can PhotoShop my pictures and crop them so the spiders are more visible.
I don't know how to do that : (

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