Spider!

Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia)

 

This is one of my favorite creatures- the yellow garden spider.  The Mom of No is not too great at spider ID (yet) and it's one of the few that I know- but I think it's a gorgeous spider.  I love the colors and pattterns on their abdomens.  The first time I saw one I was terrified that it was some poisonous arachnid that would kill me if I got too close, but I have yet to have one hunt me down. I did, however, see one ensnare a dragonfly.  I've read that they can bite, but that the bite is not serious.  Their webs have a thick zig-zag stripe in the middle of the web, called a stabilimentum.

Yellow garden spider with stabilimentum

 

 

 

And her unfortunate dragonfly prey.