#Western Spotted Orbweaver

[aud-chron-images]

Making One's Way in the World...

[freetheshit-outofyou]

Damned near walked right into this Western Spotted Orbweaver and web along the house tonight.

There would have been so much screaming and running had I walked into it.

[zuzsenpai]

Zuzu's bug-ventures June 8-16, 2024 (insects/spiders from a state park in northeast Pennsylvania) (re-uploading because of file size issues)

I figured I would make a collage after getting so many! A couple of the above photos have duplicates, so all in all I believe I found 65 distinct kinds. I'm still working to ID some of them, but all the ones I think I have ID'd are under the cut. Anyway, it was truly a fun experience. Maybe next time I'll have a camera that isn't a shitty phone!

You can see full size photos of most of these here.

IDs under the cut

Just a note, I'm not 100% on any of these. My IDs are speculative based on google searches, reddit, and so-on. If you think something is wrong, PLEASE let me know!

Also, each image has 9 insects/spiders in a grid. I will be referring to each grid of 9 insects/spiders as a single image below, and identifying all 9 based on rows within the image. If that makes sense. Hopefully it does!

Image 1 (first row left):

Top row (from left to right): Northern paper wasp (I'm told it's carrying caterpillar meat); Hickory tussock moth; Ground beetle of some kind (could not ID)

Middle row: Fall cankerworm moth; Barn spider; Red ichneumon wasp

Bottom row: Long-horned caddisfly; Copper underwing caterpillar; Brush-legged mayfly

Image 2 (first row right):

Top row: Very loud very big bee (could not ID); Common blue mud dauber wasp; Harvestman spider

Middle row: Limoniid crane fly; Firefly; Hoverfly

Bottom row: Elegant grass-veneer moth; Tiger crane fly; Western honey bee

Image 3 (second row left):

Top row: Two-spotted bumble bee; Marsh fly; Yellow-collared scape moth? (could not ID)

Middle row: Wolf spider (male); Macaria moth; Tipula lunata (type of crane fly)

Bottom row: Robber fly; Brown-toed forest fly; Virginian tiger moth

Image 4 (second row right):

Top row: Blue dasher dragonfly? (could not ID. Dead in spider web); White admiral butterfly; Chalk-fronted corporal dragonfly

Middle row: Clubtail dragonfly? (could not ID); Hemlock borer beetle; Eastern tent caterpillar

Bottom row: Another Tipula lanata crane fly; Double-banded grass-veneer moth; Horace's duskywing butterfly

Image 5 (third row left):

Top row: Cabbage white butterfly; Spongy moth caterpillar; Dragonfly exoskeleton (could not ID)

Middle row: White-striped running crab spider; Jumping spider (could not ID, but yes there is a spider in this photo!); Orchard orbweaver spider

Bottom row: Soldier beetle; Fortunate wave moth; Another white admiral butterfly

Image 6 (third row right):

Top row: Tussock moth caterpillar; A third white admiral butterfly (this is the last one I promise! They just have so much variation!); Another spongy moth caterpillar

Middle row: Common green bottle fly; Eastern parson spider; Another orchard webweaver spider

Bottom row: Blue dasher dragonfly (possibly female); Calligrapher fly; Dun skipper butterfly

Image 7 (last row left):

Top row: Another fortunate wave moth? (could not ID); Orbweaver spider of some kind (Could not ID); Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly

Middle row: Stonefly exoskeleton; Ontario sallfly; Lesser house fly

Bottom row: White-striped black moth; Pale metarranthis moth (this one is my favorite find); White planthopper? (could not ID)

Image 8 (last row right):

Top row: Millipede; Immaculate grass-veneer moth; Flat wireworm beetle

Middle row: Twobanded Japanese weevil (WEEVIL TIME!!); Earwig; Bob's yellow and black millipede

Bottom row: Click beetle; Sod webworm moth? (could not ID); Deer fly

And that's it! Again, let me know if I made mistakes or if you know any of the ones I couldn't ID.

[sparkylurkdragon]

So this week, which has been Completely Bonkers in terms of my schedule (nothing bad, just A Lot of Adult Meetings for things like disability services and rental assistance), someone typo'd a number and added me to a group text. This group text was about sending sympathy to someone who had been diagnosed with cancer. I could not figure out how to drop out of the chat. The conversation played out something like this:

Group chat: *exchanges various sympathy noises* Me: You guys have the wrong number for me, so please take me out of the chat. But I'm sorry to hear that and hope they get well soon. Group chat: *ignores me and continues sending messages that loop me in* Me: Seriously, you have the wrong number here, take me out. Group chat: *pictures of flowers and more sad noises*

And, like, I'm sympathetic but this is kind of triggering for me, so clearly more drastic measures are needed. I decide to send them Bug Pics, but to start out with a charismatic critter that isn't too likely to squick anyone. Me: Here's a cool bug I found:

Please take me off your list.

At this point I think most of them got the idea and stopped looping me in, but I got one more "*sad noises*" text and just wordlessly sent them this Western Spotted Orbweaver picture I took.

I have not yet received any more texts.

In conclusion: if politeness doesn't work, sometimes escalating arthropod images will.

[captainofthenautilus]

the pelican is actually in a 7 way tie for 5th place with snowy egret, mallard, black bellied slender salamander, desert cottontail, spotted orbweaver, and western hardwood sulphur shelf (a mushroom)

iNaturalist reblog game: post your top 5 most observed species. i'll go first

[dkt5d]

Western Spotted Orbweaver with Honey Bee Breakfast. She has a great location for a web, yesterday she had bee then a skipper butterfly a few hours later.

[rabm]

marbled cellar spider, western spotted orbweaver. 9/28/21

i need to invest in an actual camera for higher quality and because getting the phone to focus on that orbweaver was a fight for my life ;-;

[ciego64]

Day 6: Macro Side view of a western spotted orb weaver spider . . . . . #rebel_macro #macrophotography #spider #orbweaver #orbweaverspider #challenge #potd #photooftheday #current_challenge #currentchallenge #hey_ihadtosnapthat #pulledoverforthis #bestofthe_usa #yes_busa #rebel_macro #rebels_united #rebels_nature #Shotonnikon #shotonnikond3500 #tamronlens #tamron90mm #tamron90mmmacro (at Phoenix, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjX1jvpLVwg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[animalids]

Western spotted orb-weaver (Neoscona oaxacensis)

Photo by Texas Parks and Wildlife

[gyrrakavian]

Hypothetical Pokemon region based on the Midwest

Unova is based on the East Coast, and the channel Mr. Buddy already did a video on a hypothetical region based on the Western United States, so I figured I’d write up one for a region based on the Midwest. If someone else wants to take a stab at this, be my guest. [IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, & WI]

It gets a bit rambly and isn’t entirely complete as I had trouble placing some of the gym types and there’s just so many choices for who to base the gym leaders and Elite Four on. But, I do throw out some suggestions here and there.

Terrain: There's shortgrass and tallgrass plains, mountains, semi-arid areas, lakes and rivers.

Starters: Region starters would be based on a tiger salamander, American badger, and the Eastern red bat (water, grass & fire respectively).

As to what the starters would end up as type wise; flying-fire for the bat is pretty obvious, but what about either a grass-ground or a grass-fight typing for the badger? I figured the water starter would more resemble a Hellbender in its final form and would have either the counter-intuitive typing of rock-water or dark-water from the Hellbender’s preferred habitat.

Other new Pokemon: New animal pokemon would likely be based around the alligator snapping turtle, American bison, copperhead or cottonmouth, coyote, either golden or bald eagle (we've got both), an egret or a heron, a hawk, mastodon (fossil), mudskipper, red and grey wolves, river otter or beaver, porcupine, prairie dog, pronghorn, sandpiper, stinkpot (a type of turtle), a toad, and warbler. There's so many possible bug types I made a separate list: arrowhead orbweaver, arrow-shaped micrathena, at least 2 beetles (probably a borer, water beetle, or tortoise beetle), a centipede, katydid, luna moth, a rodent or two (several to choose from), a jumping spider (probably Sassacus papenhoei or Phidippus audax) prairie walkingstick,  sweat bee, tolype or other woolly moth, a tortoise beetle, a weevil, and the white-lined sphinx moth.

If we were to get a new deer pokemon, a grass-ghost or ground-ghost typing would be interesting to see.

New plant-based pokemon would be based on boneset (Eupatorium), corn, soy, cottonwood tree, snakeroot (Asarum canadense), snakeroot (Polygala senega), wheat, and some of the various wildflowers.

New object-based pokemon would be based on scarecrow (ghost-grass), and American Civil War era cannons and mortars (ghost-steel), and a microphone.

Legendaries: Legendaries would probably be based on the Thunderbird (flying-electric), the The Water Panther (water-dragon) and a giant horned serpent (dark-dragon or dark-water).

Places and Cities: Major cities would be based on Branson, Chicago, Clevand, Detroit, Indianopolis, Kansas City, Milwauke, St. Louis, and Wichita. The notable sites would likely be be based on both Native American and Civil War sites in the region. With both the Mississipian culture (with emphasis on Cahokia) and the various Civil War battle sites and forts throughout the region. It would be interesting to see the St. Louis as something of a reconstruction of Cahokia in its heyday. Mount Rushmore would also likely be referenced in some way (both the presidents and Crazy Horse monuments). Being that Kansas has one of the world's largest salt deposits under it, the salt mine in Hutchison would also make a good spot to visit. Areas based on Nebraska and Iowa would likely get mashed together, same for the Dakotas. Kansas would be spared getting mashed in with Iowa and Nebraska due to the sheer number of ghosttowns the state has.

There'd be no getting around the regions history with both the Wild West and Prohibition. So, activities could include something based around either. Maybe a cattle drive sidequest, or a quickdraw event. Though, both would work as basis for the plot as well.

Routes: Special routes would include extreme hot-cold shifts, tornadoes, and prairie fires.

Gyms and Gym leaders: Considering the vast amount of history in the region, there's all manner of historical figures to draw from for the basis of gym leaders. Several writers, musicians, actors and artists, as well as notable inventors, atheletes and outlaws. Thirteen presidents were elected from the region, as well 11 US presidents having been born in the region. Plus, Eisenhower was raised in and retired in Kansas.

Just listing writers alone: Ray Bradbury, Gordon Parks, Truman Capote, Kurt Vonnegut Jr, William Allen White, Ernest Hemmingway, Mark Twain, Betty Friedan, Charles Schulz, Abigail Van Buren (Pauline Philips), David Mamet, Carl Sandburg, Ann Landers (Esther Lederer), (James) Langston Hughes, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Garrison Keller, Standing Bear, Erma Bombeck, Zane Grey, and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Michigan would have the water and steel gyms, Wisconsin the poison and ice gyms (Milwaukee breweries), Kansas the flying and ghost gyms (Air Capital of the World), Nebraska-Iowa would have the grass and normal gyms, the Dakotas would have the ground and fighting gyms. Missouri would have the rock gym for certain (the Ozarks) and something else. I wasn't really too sure about what all the other states would have. Maybe fairy and normal type gyms for Ohio? Anybody have any other suggestions for the rest?

The only gym leader I could really peg down would be for the Wichita gym. She'd be based on Amelia Earhart and two of the other trainers in the gym should be based on Clyde Cessna and Bill Lear. Though, I was thinking maybe John Brown (the dude was f---ing nuts) as basis for the ghost gym leader.

Elite Four: Again, tons of historical figures and artisans to choose from. If we went with entertainers, Oprah Winfrey, Walt Disney, "Buffalo Bill" Cody, and the Ringling Brothers. If singers, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Bob Dylan. If inventors; The Wright brothers, Thomas Edison, John Deere, and John Atanasoff (inventor of the digital computer).

You get the idea.

[satansdrunkuncle]

Finally got around to uploading these, why I love studying zoology.

1. Western Spotted Orbweaver

2. White-speck Moth

3. Tarantula

4 & 7. Western Toad

5. Southern Pacific Rattlesnake

6. CA kingsnake

8. CA Greathorned Owl

[onenicebugperday]

@feral-anarchy submitted: What are these beautiful babies? They are rather large and have been popping up along side black widows.

We unfortunatly have been killing them with the widows because we don't know if they are dangerous or not to our small dogs

Front and back pic of the same spooder. We live in Phx Arizona btw and they (along with the widows) have started showing up recently as we head into winter.

It's a western spotted obweaver, Neoscona oaxacensis. And they are definitely not dangerous to you or your dogs.

[freetheshit-outofyou]

Western Spotted Orbweaver not enjoying the rain.

[crudlynaturephotos]

Western Spotted Orbweaver

[onenicebugperday]

@sapphuchi submitted: Saw this little friend outside my work. Spotted in Southern California, could I get help with an id?

A lovely lady! She looks like a western spotted orbweaver, Neoscona oaxacensis. :)

[onenicebugperday]

@blightowl​ submitted: From a few years ago in the Los Angeles, CA area, a spidey friend! They were out in the open walkway and in danger of being stepped on, so I gave them an escort to a nearby shrub.

Also, return of the dog snootle. This time with the rest of the dog! She maaaaay have wanted to eat the new spidey friend so I had to play buddy referee.

Just looking.

What a beautiful friend! Lovely stripey leggings. Also A+ snootle and attached dog.