Featherlegged Orbweaver (Uloborus glomosus)
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The strange little Featherlegged Orbweaver is easy to overlook, considering that it is less than ¼ inch long, sports a dull brown color, and barely resembles a spider when resting in its web. The fuzzy sections on the front legs of the females give this spider its common name. The photo above gives a lateral view, while the one below shows a dorsal perspective. Although it is hard to believe from these photos, this spider is capable of separating its front legs. It simply hardly ever does it.
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Featherlegged spiders often create their webs horizontally, although they are also found at various other angles. These spiders create a stabilimentum, and the shape varies considerably. Many smaller individuals create a distinctive spiral shape in their web (see photo below), while bigger females sometimes have a long line (photo above) or even none at all.
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The egg cases are frequently seen in the web, but they look a lot like a wrapped prey insect. The female in the photo below has two already. It is not uncommon for the spiders to lay several clutches of eggs throughout the summer.
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class: Arachnida / order: Araneae / family: Uloboridae / genus: Uloborus / species: glomosus
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