Large Spider

This morning my sister-in-law in New Jersey sent a photo of a large black and yellow spider outside her window. We have its twin in our morning glory vine. So of course I had to wade out into the dew and take a photo of our resident. I have never seen a web with the cluster of white and a zig zag area near the center. To try to get him to move to more exposed position, I shook the vine and he did climb up a bit but long after the movement should have stopped, the web continued to move. I watched for at least a minute and there was no sign of it stopping. There was no wind that kept it moving and perhaps he was moving his body in some way that I could not see. Quite fascinating. And I'm still surprised the morning glories are still looking so summer-like. It will be 80 again today so that doesn't exactlt say fall and the end of the growing season. (You can click to enlarge the photo.)