Funnel Web Spider

We have many of these spiders in our yard. A few months ago, one of them took up residence between the screen & stationary glass part of our sliding glass door . . . half way up . . . right about eye-level with me when I'm working at my desk, right next to it.

Its web is becoming littered with exoskeletons of bugs, most of which I poked back there for it, myself. (I thought it was looking skinny and didn't see evidence of any leftovers from meals.) Not too long after I began bringing it insects, it molted.

I think I'm going to miss it when it moves on, or dies. . . .

But, my bird-bath & feeder --just beyond the web-- will be easier to see again!

These are excellent garden and yard dwelling spiders that will live in rocks or between groups of leaves. they make somewhat triangular webs with web covered funnels that usually go into a crack or behind leaves. the triangular webbing is used to catch prey and the funnel is used for hiding and waiting. when an unfortunate bug ends up in the web, the funnel spider races out, grabs the bug, and takes it back into the funnel (sometimes they just race out, bite the bug, and leave it there for later). over the course of a summer-fall season these spiders molt a few times leaving behind their former exoskeletons and sometimes their webs too. some can grow to be quite large with massive webs, but don't worry, these spiders seem to prefer the outdoors and if you leave them alone they leave ... read moreyou alone.