The Golden Orb Weaver spider (Argiope aurantia) that inhabits our deck has just laid her first group of eggs. I found this magnificent egg sac in a potted plant next to her web. She will create 1-2 more of these egg cases before she dies this fall.
Each egg sac contains 300 to 1400 eggs. The eggs will hatch in the late fall, but the hatchling spiders become dormant and do not leave the egg sac until the following spring. The over wintering egg case will help protect the newly hatched spiders from predation.To read related posts see:
http://katalystdesigns.blogspot.com/2007/03/waiting-patiently.html
http://katalystdesigns.blogspot.com/2007/08/golden-orb-weaver.html
In other spider news, I saw a Green Lynx spider that has made its home in one of our basil bushes in the garden in the midst of capturing its prey, a stink bug. The green lynx is a great beneficial insect to have around in the garden. They are voracious predators and assist us in keeping the pest populations low.
To read related posts see:http://katalystdesigns.blogspot.com/2007/05/green-lynx.html
