Just A Friendly Spider!

   Oh, the things we find!  Son has been doing a huge cleanup of the yard this past week.  With most of the termite-damage reconstruction of the Little Bayou House completed, it was time to regain the yard.  This has gone on for too long.  I had started the cleanup and relandscaping back before falling ill but that all came to a standstill during my recuperation period.  When he finished rebuilding the pier, Son took over the cleanup.  He has done most of the "heavy" work but has no clue how I want to "pretty" up the place.  His idea of the perfect yard would have no gardens, no ponds, no fences and definitely no decorations of any kind.  A clean, clear lawn would suit him fine.  Me?  I need the mystery that outdoor "rooms" create.  Winding pathways, dark, shady nooks, babbling water features (snakes and frogs included) and funky gates.  All of those things are up to me.  He does, however, call me whenever he finds some odd critter during his work.  Today, a spider put a halt to the chores.

  Son called me as he was clearing a pile of lumber.  "Hey, there is a bug."  I knew to grab the camera because it had to be something out of the ordinary if he brought attention to it.  Sure enough, it was an odd looking critter.  When I told him it was a Long-jawed Spider, he shrugged and muttered something about it had long legs not a long jaw.  Well, he had a point but the spider's name would have to stay.

  Long-jawed Spiders are pretty neat critters.  They have figured out that nighttime provides for the best hunting and so they while away the daytime hours in hiding (like this one).  In the evening, the spider will crawl out of its nook and spin a large web usually over water.  They depend on the morphing of water bound larvae to adults as a food source.  Mosquitoes, mayflies and midges all lay eggs in water. When the larvae develop into adults and leave the water, they become ensnared in the spider's web.  Spider is happy....I am happy....a lot less bugs.  

  Since Son wanted to complete his chore, I gently moved our friendly spider to a spot closer to the little Puddle Pond.  She can have lots of hiding places and will be able to catch any flying critters tonight.  Happy hunting, Long-jawed Spider!  You are welcome to stay here!

Pier Spiders!

  It appears to be a season for spiders (or spider doppelgangers) and for weird names.  For the past few days, I have had more run ins with the critters than I really want.  At least (so far) all of the spiders have been non-venomous but that still does not help when you find one crawling up the pant leg or suddenly dropping from a tree into your hair.  Normally, I do not mind spiders as I look at them as helpful critters but, once in a while, I draw the line.  Black widows are a no-go for me since I have already been bitten once and I wish not to go that route again.

  The spider, today, has a funny name.  It is called a long-jawed orb weaver.  Now, go figure...long jawed?  We found this spider down on the pier.  It had spun a web between a pier post and the pier planking.  What first caught our eye was that it was long and skinny. The spider was close to two inches in length! I had no idea what type of spider it was even though I had found them often enough in the greenhouse.  It took a bit of research for long, skinny spiders to find its identification.  

  Long-jawed spiders seem to love spinning webs over water so look for them by piers, over creeks or near ponds. They seem to have no fear of the water which may be due to the fact that they can literally walk on water.  It is also here, they can catch numerous gnats, mosquitoes and other water loving insects.  The spider has long front legs and is often seen with its legs stretched far in front making it look like a stick.  The spider uses this as a method of stealth.  It can hide from its prey but also hide from its predators.  Sometimes it will cling to a slender branch, plant stem or even a thin wire or rope.  Its ability to blend with its surrounding is pretty amazing!  The female has long jaws, as well, which gives it the common name.  The male's jaws are shorter.

  Our spidery friend was left undisturbed since we appreciate it eating gnats and mosquitoes.  Walking back up the pier, we realized that earlier, we had passed nigh on a dozen of the creatures hiding along the pier planks.  They were almost impossible to see at first glance!  Creepy-crawlies are everywhere!