Consider the Spider

Orchard Orbweaver

"Once you begin watching spiders, you haven't time for much else."

- E.B. White

Consider the spider. Eight legs, eight eyes, silken webs. When welcomed into the home, may go by the name of Charlotte or Boris. Everyone has an idea of what "spider" means. 

Bowl and Doily Spider (tentative)

But do we? Records on iNaturalist show more than 60 species of spider identified in Iowa City alone; though they share a similar general body shape, there is an astonishing variety of features that can be seen, with different groups adapted to different lifestyles. They are generally divided into two categories: those that spin webs, and those that hunt their prey. 

Within those two categories there are dozens of other specializations. Some species of web-building spiders may create the typical two-dimensional spiraling orb between vertical branches or posts, like the beautiful jewel-toned Orchard Orbweaver; others make those cobwebs that add atmosphere to the corners of your basement, or they construct elaborate sheets (or even "bowls and doilies")  held aloft on grass stems.

Hunting spiders are further categorized as wolf spiders, jumping spiders, crab spiders, and several others. They may still produce silk, as a dragline to help them get around, for example, but they don't create webs to trap their prey. Nimble jumping spiders actively hunt with the help of their excellent eyesight, while many crab spiders rely on camouflage to lurk in wait for a passing insect.

They are beautiful, beguiling little bits of life that share our yards, and sometimes our homes. They feature in our stories and our songs, and are worth spending time getting to know. 

Sources/Additional Reading:

• Common Spiders in and Around Homes - ISU Extension (PDF)
• Spiders - University of Minnesota Extension

A pair of domestic spiders(?) found around the house:

Bold Jumping Spider

Common Cellar Spider