Halloween wouldn't be complete without a big Orb Weaver Spider.
Look at the size of this web! Orb Weaver's webs are 2-3 feet in diameter.
The females eat their own webs and build new ones every single day.
These spiders do not hunt. They sit in the middle of their web with their heads hanging down and wait for their prey to get trapped in their web. They eat mosquitoes, beetles, wasps, moths, flies and a few other smaller insects.
Here it is climbing down its web to get a bite to eat. I am able to identify this one as a Spotted Orb Weaver by the shape of its outer abdomen which looks like an upside down Christmas tree, as you can see in this photo if you look closely. Spotted Orb Weaver's vary in color but they all have large abdomens. All of the other photos are of its underside abdomen.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Information Source: insectidentification.org, orkin.com
Image Source: All photos are my own. I took 50 photos and these were the best ones.