Momma spider took up residence in my Double-Delight tree rose two summers ago. I went out to my garden one dewy morning and discovered her sitting on a sack of eggs that she'd securely fastened to a blossom with her silky thread. Since I'm not afraid of spiders, I didn't have an irresistible urge to squish her or run screaming into the house. Instead, I visited my local library and searched through books about arachnids until I found a photo of a spider that looked like her. The caption read, Green Lynx Spider, Peucetia Viridans. Momma spider (as she was affectionately known by my husband and me) was a non-venomous green lynx spider, a variety found widely throughout North America. Lynx spiders got their name from the fact they appear to pounce on their prey. They don't build a web in which to snare their next meal but instead rely on their speed and agility to capture a bee, grasshopper, or whoever else flies or jumps through their resident bush or shrub. Momma spider's eggs hatched and she remained in my tree rose until I put her in a special bug container. During the cold, rainy, winter months, she lived in her little bug house in my kitchen. She seemed happy as I had made a nice habitat for her with leaves and sticks and fresh foliage placed weekly inside her plastic aquarium. She ate crickets that I purchased at my local pet shop and an occasional fly or bee.
In the Spring, I released her onto my tree rose but soon thereafter, I didn't see her again. Later that Summer, a smaller green lynx spider took up temporary residence on the same tree rose and I surmised this was one of her children. This year, I hope I'll have the enjoyment of another another visiting lynx spider in my garden.
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