Neoscona crucifera, the Hentz’s Orbweaver Spider, in Ormond Beach, Florida; 02 August 2014

Neoscona crucifera, the Hentz’s orbweaver spider, photographed in Volusia county, Florida (02 August 2014).

In this post, we’re flipping the two Neoscona species featured in our last post. Here we see larger images of Neoscona crucifera, Hentz’s orbweaver, with an inset of a Neoscona domiciliorum, the Redfemured spotted orbweaver. Both spiders were photographed in Bulow Creek State Park (Volusia county, Florida) in early August.

People have all kinds of reactions to spiders in the wild, not to mention spiders in and around the home. Those reactions often lean toward fear, which is unfortunate but unsurprising. Ever since I was a wee kid scampering about in central Florida and central Oklahoma, I’ve loved spiders, but that’s not to say I’ve always been impervious to the Fear Factor. I’ve had my share of freak outs with spiders, if I’m to be entirely honest with you…

When I was a kid, the bigger the spider was, the more comfortable I was with it. The wee little spiders were the ones that freaked me out — the ones I would imagine were hiding in my shoes or just waiting to crawl into my ears while I slept at night. Heh. I certainly had my issues with tiny spiders as a kid.

Still, I never really feared the big spiders. Truly, the bigger the spider was, the more comfortable I was with it. I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it’s because it’s easier to see a large spider’s body parts — its face, its fangs, its joints… The larger the spider, the more “animal” it seemed — and the easier I could “read” it. As an example, I used to love catching Brown tarantulas (Aphonopelma hentzi) by hand as a kid in Oklahoma (1985-1987). My friend Billy and I studied those tarantulas, and we learned how they would posture themselves when they felt threatened — with their forelegs raised ominously. You could read the big spiders and respond accordingly. Little spiders were more difficult to read.

So, that’s probably why I’ve never been uncomfortable with Florida’s Neoscona species. They’re large and easy to see, observe, and read. They’re also somewhat predictable –just like those Brown tarantulas in Oklahoma and Texas– and, truth be told, they have zero interest in climbing in my shoes or in my ears. Heh.

Next on Dust Tracks: More central Florida biojazz!