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6 yr old bug scientist needs your help again
September 21, 2009
Hi,
Earlier this summer, you helped us identify a silver argiope orb weaver that we found outside my son’s school. Since then, he’s found a Golden Orb Weaver in our back yard that we identified by using your sight. Over the weekend, she suddenly disappeared for a couple of days and we wondered what happened to her. Well, this morning, we found out. She was back – and with a very large egg sac.
I’ve attached pictures of her both before and after the egg sac appeared.
My son would like to know if you have any idea how many baby spiders we can expect and how long it will take them to hatch. Also – will the mommy spider survive this process?
Thanks for your help!
P.S. I tried to send this earlier today, but got an error message and couldn’t tell if it went through so if you get it twice, I apologize.
Mom of future “bug guy”
Aliso Viejo, CA

Golden Orbweaver with Egg Sac

Dear Mom of future “bug guy”,
Several hundred spiderlings will emerge from this Golden Orbweavers Egg Sac, probably between 200 and 500.  Since you live where there is a mild climate, they mother spider might survive to see her spiderlings emerge, but in harsher climates, the Egg Sac will overwinter and the mother will die.  When the spiderlings emerge, they will balloon away on the wind on silken threads to disperse whichever way the wind blows.  They can travel quite far on the wind.

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