Greenwaltarachne pamelae was an orb-weaver spider that lived in what is now Montana, USA, during the mid-Eocene, around 46 million years ago.
Known from a single fossil of an adult female, it had a body length of about 2mm (~0.08") and a legspan of around twice that. The specimen is even well-preserved enough to show banded markings on the legs resembling those of some modern orb-weaver species.
It would have lived in what was then a rift valley with a tropical climate, along the shoreline of the ancient 160km long (~100 miles) Lake Kishenehn. It was part of a highly diverse ecosystem full of numerous other invertebrates – including miniscule fairyflies, and even mosquitoes with evidence of blood preserved inside their bodies – and a wide variety of mammals ranging from tiny rodents to large brontotheres.
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References:
Dawson, Mary R., and Kurt N. Constenius. "Mammalian fauna of the middle Eocene Kishenehn Formation, middle fork of the Flathead River, Montana." Annals of Carnegie Museum 85.1 (2018): 25-60. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327631872_Mammalian_Fauna_of_the_Middle_Eocene_Kishenehn_Formation_Middle_Fork_of_the_Flathead_River_Montana
Downen, Matthew R., and Paul A. Selden. "Fossil spiders (Araneae) from the Eocene kishenehn formation of Montana, USA." Palaeontologia Electronica 23.3 (2020): a56. https://doi.org/10.26879/1135
Greenwalt, Dale, and Conrad Labandeira. "The amazing fossil insects of the Eocene Kishenehn Formation in northwestern Montana." Rocks & Minerals 88.5 (2013): 434-441. https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2013.809972
Greenwalt, Dale E., et al. "Hemoglobin-derived porphyrins preserved in a Middle Eocene blood-engorged mosquito." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110.46 (2013): 18496-18500. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1310885110
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A gorgeous yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) has made her home in one of my beds. I know many people fear spiders, but I think the orb-weavers are some of the most beautiful and amazing creatures on earth.
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My friend sent me this picture and asked if it was okay to kill this spider.
My answer was simple:
If you ever see this type of spider in your home do NOT kill it!
This is a spiny orb-weaver spider, and they're absolutely harmless to humans. They're generally white, red, or yellow, with spikes on their backs and an oval or round body shape. Like most spiders, they will bite if you squeeze or cover them up, but there has never (to my knowledge, at least) been a case where a person has been hospitalised from an orb-weaver bite. I used to handle these spiders when I was a kid and I never had a problem. What's more, despite its frightening appearance, this genus of spider is actually very docile.
However, if you do find one of these spiders in your house, I recommend moving it outside. If the spider is female and pregnant, they can actually become an infestation. Mainly, you want these spiders in or around your garden, as they act as a sort of "guard dog". They won’t eat or infect your veggies/flowers and will in fact keep other harmful insects at bay.
In addition, they make some of the most beautiful webs in the entire arachnid kingdom!
