Neoscona crucifera

Typical Orbweavers (Subfamily Araneinae)

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A photograph is worth a thousand words, but the story makes it worth a few more.

BACKSTORY

While walking the trails at Lodi Lake, we came across several of these giant spiders suspended in midair in the middle of enormous orb webs. They were hard to miss once we noticed them—the spiders were impressive enough, but the size of the webs was what really caught my attention. With the light coming through the web, this Spotted Orbweaver made an irresistible photographic subject.

IMAGE DETAILS

LOCATION INFORMATION: Lodi Lake, San Joaquin County, California · October 3, 2026
EQUIPMENT INFORMATION: Canon EOS R5 · Canon RF 100–500mm + RF 1.4x Extender
SETTINGS INFORMATION: 700mm · ƒ/10 · 1/640 sec · ISO 5000