Notice the web, a bit of a mess so it's hard to see but the hub is much larger then the spider. Often you can get a general idea of how large a spider is when it's hiding by the size of it's hub--in this case, that was not true. She was far smaller then I expected. I have A LOT of pictures of her--I plan to add them more later tonight.
Now here is a true mystery. Had it not been for my identification of the
Barn Spider previously found on my trip to San Jose, and my growing up
in Hawaii--I'd have thought immediately that this was a small variation on
the Barn Spider. (Araneus cavaticus). In Hawaii, there are countless variations
on a spider the same size as this one, as is this one, smaller then the Barn
Spider (go down to see the Barn Spider in my website), and with different
proportions in key areas. In Hawaii I found countless mixes of a similar
spider that varied in colors but had the same body theme and it amounted
to races of what was probably all the same species or very close. I am not
sure--none of my books accurately identify this spider completely. I was not
able to look enough to know if there are variations but it almost definitely not
a Barn Spider as I found just on the other side of this same house. She is
probably fully grown, and I have no idea what the true name for this spider is.
Due to coloration it's probably often identified as a the A. cavaticus, very possibly
wrongly. I cannot be sure about this--but the number of spider similar to
this very tropical species in Hawaii is incredible. Dozens and dozens of mixes.
I can't identify this species exactly. Nor can I connect it to the ones in Hawaii
except by saying there are many similarities and this spider is definitely
more tropical then the Barn Spider--which can be found here in The Dalles
Or where we can have six feet of snow and cold winters every year. It can't
be found in Portland either as far as I know. E-mail me if you can identify this
one--I really want to know what she is. I have lots more pictures of this one.
She measures about 1.3-1.4cm or so.
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