The six spotted orb weaver spider.

I photographed this spider yesterday in Clearwater, BC.
Orbweavers are very interesting spiders.  They have very large abdomens, often brightly coloured.  The webs they build seem like a random jumble of silk strands.  I don't see them that often; when I do I take notice.  As I was wandering about with my macro lens I discovered a very curious specimen that was most unexpected.

The six spotted orb weaver seems to have a North American wide distribution, although this is the first time I have ever seen one.  Orb weaver webs tend to be very large, but the six spotted variety produces only a small web according to my research (click here).  My examination of the web this one made fell right within that description, being maybe four inches across.

It has not been spotted that much in British Columbia.  There is a site I visit often as it documents facts about and distribution of many species.  E-fauna has a remarkable amount of information on it.  I am a member of the site and contribute images to it occasionally.  After identifying the arachnid I posted an image there; the next day I found it being used as part of the information page.  I include a map from the site showing where in BC the creatures have been found.

I always get a kick out of finding unfamiliar species.  It fuels my curiosity like nothing else can and I find myself hunting through a variety of resources to discover more about it.  My guess is that the range of this beast is increasing probably due to global warming.  The fact it hitches a ride with traveling humans is not surprising; it seems we are the reason so many exotic species end up in places they have never existed before.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen

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