I went to check on one of my spider friends to see how she was doing. She has a home close to the ground in a cluster of thistles out in the meadow. When arrived at her doorstep, I found the web collapsed, and she had disappeared. As I surveyed the area to see if she had built a new web nearby, I noticed a brown, papery egg sac suspended by silk filaments zigzagging in all directions.
After the female mates, she creates 1 to 4 of these sacs which contain 300-1400 eggs. I found another one close by hidden within vegetation about 3 inches from the ground. Interestingly, the eggs hatch in the fall, and the baby spiders will overwinter inside and emerge in the spring. The sac must be tough and well-insulated to protect them all winter, exposed to the weather out in the meadow.
I think this egg sac is so fascinating and beautiful in the way it is attached and supported. I find it interesting that she can create this tough, papery cover. From what I could find searching around on the internet, this egg case is made of silk. I am guessing is somehow made differently from the silk used to make her web, because it seems so structurally different. I want to find out more about this, and when I do, I’ll pass it along.
Resource
Hammond, George. “Argiope Aurantia.” Animal Diversity Web, https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Argiope_aurantia/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2022.
