Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Identify the golden silk spider by its large, lighter-colored body attached to long, knobby dark-colored legs. This giant orb-weaving spider is found throughout Florida and the southern U.S. in gardens and forested lands. The females reach up to 40 mm in diameter and spin large webs. According to the Galveston County Master Gardeners, the "golden" in the name refers to the spider's silk, not any color on its body. The web of a golden silk spider shimmers a dazzling golden in sunlight and is a trademark of this species.
Look for the distinguishable coloring on the yellow garden spider. Its bright yellow-and-black hornetlike stripes give it away every time. Females can measure up to 38 mm, not including their long legs. They are found often in Florida gardens and woodlands. The yellow garden spider's web is spun in a spiral pattern that begins in the center. There is often be a zig-zag type of weave straight through the middle of the web when a male spider is in the area.
Identify a green lynx spider by its lime green color and long legs, which exhibit black recognizable spines. The females reach up to 22 mm in diameter and average 12 mm, according to the University of Florida. Green lynx spiders spin both traditional webs and cocoons of silk. These arachnids are found on green tropical foliage and flowers, where they spend their whole lives hunting smaller insects.
Look for the distinctive rounded head of a jumping spider. Jumping spiders are found throughout the southern U.S. At 15 mm, they are smaller than other, more intimidating spiders. Jumping spiders do not build webs but hunt their prey on the go. They pounce on it from an unseen location, which is how they get their name. These spiders are recognizable by their large, flat head and visible eyes.
Watch for wolf spiders along the ground in sunny areas and beneath vegetation. According to Florida Bugs, Florida wolf spiders are often found in tall grasses, beneath stones and logs or in silk-lined hideouts they create. They also track down their prey, rather than catch it in a web. Wolf spiders can get as large as two inches in diameter. Their bodies are brown and hairy, and their eyes are large and visible. Wolf spiders do not spin webs and do not climb walls. This is one way to tell them from the much more poisonous brown recluse, which is able to climb a wall.