Come into my parlor....

[Bob_B]

I have a several japanese maple trees in my backyard (Maryland USA). One of them (a green varigated variety) has dozens of these spiders monitoring webs and catching insects. The spider in this image is about 1/2 inch (guessing 12 or 13 mm), maybe a tad smaller. If anyone knows what species this may be, please reply. Of course, comments on the image are always welcomed and encouraged. Thanks for viewing.

Cheers, Bob

[wolfnowl]

That's not the best angle for ID, but http://bugguide.net would be the place to ask.

Mike.

[John Koerner]

Hi Bob;

That spider is a Basilica Orb Weaver (Mecynogea lemniscata).

The photograph is crisp, but the light could be better (less yellow) if you took the shot in the early morning hours

Cheers,

Jack

[Bob_B]

Hi Jack,

     Thanks for the ID.

          Bob