Find more of my photographs and information similar to that which I post in this blog in my book Naturally Curious, which is being published this fall.
SPIDER EGG SAC
This is the time of year when spiders are mating and laying eggs. The female black and yellow argiope (large orb web spinner) deposits her eggs on a square piece of silk she spins. She then pulls the four corners together, forming it into a ball, which she then attaches to vegetation or a more solid structure. The female then dies; the eggs will hatch this fall. The spiderlings overwinter inside the egg sac, remaining more or less dormant during the cold weather, but becoming more active during warmer days. Because this activity demands energy, and there is no food available inside the egg sac, the young spiders resort to cannabalism. The surviving spiderlings will emerge from the egg sac come spring.