Julie-Ann Chapman spotted a spider in her backyard, and, not 100% sure of its identity, or its intentions, posted a pic to the One Mile Lake Nature Centre, to see if anyone could help.

Naturalist Valeinna Dimma suggested it was probably an Orb Weaver.

Briony Penn wrote this up about the Orb Weaver in an 2010 British Columbia magazine article featuring BC’s 10 most intriguing arachnids.

These classic web spinners catch our attention in autumn when the females grow large in preparation for breeding and their webs are highlighted by dew or frost. The most common of the orb weavers in southwestern B.C. is the introduced garden or cross spider, Araneus diadematus. Rick West, however, is a fan of Argiope trifasciata.

“It is a gorgeous spider with yellow- and black-banded abdomen and legs and silvery carapace that lives in salt marshes. Its quirky characteristic is a bold zigzag pattern in the centre of its web. The theory is that the pattern deters large creatures from flying into it.”

Entomologist Staffan Lindgren of the University of Northern British Columbia receives calls every year from people asking him to identify strange orb weavers—especially Araneus gemmoides, the aptly named cat-faced spider.

“This is a very common native spider that likes to spin its web near porch lights, so people notice it.”

Lindgren assures callers that the orb spiders are harmless, as gentle as the heroine ofCharlotte’s Web, likely an Araneus species. Like others who study these creatures, he is passionate about getting across the non-aggressive nature of spiders, and the critical role they play in insect control.

“The density of spiders is astounding, hundreds of thousands of spiders per hectare all controlling insect populations. They are critical for any ecological balance.”

Where do you go, when you’re looking for some help identifying local flora or fauna? Google? A book? A person? Or a facebook page?