Spiders are magical creatures. They have organs called spinnerets that produce silk. This amazing material is used very creatively in the world of spiders. The most obvious use is that it can be used to build webs like the circular construction of this orb-weaver. Their silk is also used for swathing prey that gets caught in the web and to make sacs to encase the spider eggs. In a process called ballooning or parachuting, some spiders will release silk that can be caught by the wind which allows them to float into the air. I read a National Geographic article that said ballooning spiders have been found more than two miles high and thousands of miles out at sea! Spider webs are strong, stretchy, sticky and very versatile. Many birds will collect them and use them in building their nests.
The spider in the photos is the female. The males are smaller with brownish legs and less yellow coloration on their abdomens. The male seeks out a female and plucks at her web during courting. After mating, the female fills a spherical sac with a tough, brown papery covering. She attaches it to one side of the web close to resting position, then dies. Eggs hatch in the autumn, young overwinter in the sac and then disperse in the spring.
References:
Milne, Lorus and Margery. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders. New York, Knopf, 1996.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/spiderwebs-explained
