If you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to click away from this post.
You were warned, so I will continue… Two spiders, a Neoscona oaxacensis and an Argiope, have taken up residence on my terrace. This isn’t the first time I have played hostess to these two kinds of orb weaver spiders.
Neoscona oaxacensis (back)
Neoscona oaxacensis (underside)
My latest guests arrived a week ago and have been settling in ever since. Their webs are strung across neighboring plants, though the Argiope’s also extends across a walkway onto the deck. Unfortunately, a few days ago, I inadvertently walked through it but, undeterred, she rewove it in the same place. So I have blocked the route with an extremely spiky cactus, to prevent further human destruction.
Argiope (top)
Argiope (underside)
Aren’t my new visitors beautiful? By the way, they eat insects and are harmless to humans, so nothing to be afraid of!
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 
Beautiful photos!
¡Gracias!
They are both quite lovely! I like her zig zag – is that a repair?
Zig zag of the Argiope is called a stabilimentum and there are varying theories re their function. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_decoration
I too admire these creatures and their webs. I never kill them (except for Black Widows who may hurt my dog — Shannon you know these are common in the Bay Area). Your photos of these wonderful creatures are themselves wonderful. I think you should submit them to Natural History, which does publish such great photos.
Thanks Barry! Yes, I had many orb weavers in my garden in Mill Valley. I used to love how their webs sparkled with the morning dew.