Black and Yellow Argiope
This spider is an argiope, which
is a group of large spiders that hang head down in the center of their webs
waiting for prey. All agriopes belong to the family of arachnids known as the
Orb Weavers, because of the eccentric webs that these spiders weave. Often
times, an agriope web will have zigzag bands, as did this spider, which was seen
at Up Yonda Farm last summer. Black and Yellow Argiopes are good to have around,
because they eat bees, hornets and wasps.
Daddy Long Legs
This name is used very loosely to describe a number of large, small bodied
spiders with stilt-like legs. You may encounter these spiders almost anywhere
outside, but they like to live under logs, leaves, etc. Daddy Long Legs are
non-poisonous and do not produce silk, meaning that they do not make a web. If
ever you see a Daddy Long Legs on a spider web, it is because they often fall
prey to other spider species.
Wolf Spider
Wolf Spiders are small, furry bodied spiders and are usually combinations of
brown, gray, white and black.They may have orange spots on the sides of their
jaws. They have 8 eyes with the 4 largest ones arranged in a square at the top
of their heads. Wolf Spiders are long lived, averaging about 5-7 years. Unlike
other spiders that weave a web and wait for prey to get caught in it, wolf
spiders hunt for their food, which includes crickets, beetles and flies.
