Garden Guests

While investigating my roses the other day, I found my first "unknown" guest of the season. When I scared it from it's spot under the leaf of one flower, she skittered over to the lily bloom on the other side of the fence. She was very fascinating, in that "is it killing my flowers" type of questioning phase.

I say "she" because after snapping a few photos I took down my National Audubon Society Insects and Spiders reference book and flipped through the spider templates. There are some VERY ugly spiders out there, and I feel very fortunate not to have seen more than a handful in my life-time. Don't get me wrong - I'm not afraid of spiders. I do have that macro photography fascination for little critters. But I want my relationship with the little creepy crawlies to be purely professional, and on my own terms!

There she was. Template number 679. The Goldenrod spider. More information on page 907. Also known as the "Flower Spider" and "Red-spotted Crab Spider," the specimen in my garden was a female, and habituates meadows, fields, and gardens, particularly loving daisies, goldenrod and other white or yellow flowers. Bingo. White and yellow roses, and yellow lilies. It appears she eats insects which frequent these flowers, so I am hoping my blooms will not be affected negatively. Does anyone know anything different?

After I got over the initial surprise of having a white spider in my garden, I will admit to looking for her each time I go by. Today I didn't see her, and I see in my book that after creating her egg sack she doesn't live to see them emerge. I will be searching for that egg sack tomorrow, I think.

And now I'm thinking about Charlotte's Web, one of my all-time favorite films - how sad!