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Trypoxylon vs. Parasteatoda
If you live in eastern North America there is probably a life-and-death struggle going on near you between the local spiders and a particular wasp. The wasp is famous for its remarkable mud nests, the...
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Common Names
For many, one of the most frustrating things about observing spiders is the fact that most species are not referred to by “common names.” These easy to remember English names have been given to all...
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Life among the galls
During the early summer back in 2015 I found that a few leaves of my backyard grape vines were covered with colorful galls. After some research, I identified these galls as “grape tube galls” which...
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Winter spiders (yes they are out there)
In central Ohio where I live, the winter is a time of rest for many animals. They seek shelter from the cold weather and hunker down. Some large animals hibernate, many smaller ones become inactive,...
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Hypsosinga in a web!
In early June I had a surprise in our yard. For the first time I found a Hypsosinga rubens in her web. This is a relatively small and rarely-encountered species. The range of the species includes...
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There is a kleptoparasite in your web!
Up against a window and near the edge of our back deck I found a beautiful orb web and one of my favorite spiders in residence. It was a Orchard Orbweaver (Leucauge venusta). She is one of the few...
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The Asterisk Spider; Ocrepeira
One of our strangest-looking spiders is Ocrepeira, the asterisk spider. She has an amazing camouflaged color pattern complete with little lumps on her abdomen. She is actually related to our more...
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American Arachnological Society 2021 virtual meeting
This year the American Arachnological Society (the leading scientific society of arachnid biologists in the Americas) is going to be hosting a virtual annual meeting. The meeting events are from 24...
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Hyptiotes the triangle weaver
In a woods near you there may be an amazing little spider called Hyptiotes. This spider (and relatives in the same genus around the world) are famous for constructing a triangle-shaped web, hence...
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Reaching 700 species for Ohio
Research on spider diversity (the number of spider species) in Ohio has been limited. The first major effort was conducted by William M. Barrows (1883-1946) of the Ohio State University, culminating in...
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