It’s fall here in coastal Orange County, CA¹, but determining that it’s fall can be difficult since we don’t have trees filled with yellow and red leaves.  Around here I find that there’s no better indicator of fall than seeing one of these hanging around outside²:

These orb weaver spiders come out every year in late summer and early fall, building webs at dusk that are frequently more than a foot across and can have individual lines of silk running more than 10 feet from attachment point to attachment point.  They’re amazing animals, and I love to see them every year³.

This year a few took up residence close enough for me to try out my new macro lens.  And, since it’s almost Halloween, it’s a perfect time to post up some spider pictures.  Here’s one of the spiders just hangin’ out:

In this profile shot you can see how the spider has a small strand of silk attaching herself to the web as a safety-strap:

The attachment points of all eight legs onto the bottom of the cephalothorax is a fun feature to focus on (and probably the last view of many a doomed insect):

I know that many people get creeped out by spiders, but really they’re quite beneficial animals.  Take a look at this one, for instance, munching on a what I think is a cricket:

Do you really want that cricket inside your house chirping?  I didn’t think so.  And they catch mosquitoes, flies, and many other pestiferous insects too.

But, of course, spiders also hunt insects I’d rather not see killed, like poor honeybee foragers:

So, keep an eye out for these beautiful spiders next time you’re out and about around dusk in the fall. They’re a pleasure to watch, and they’ll help keep the insects away.

More pictures

To see more pictures of the spiders, head to my Orb weaver spider closeups gallery or click on the thumbnails below.