Today, in the first installment of our “interview with” series, we’ll be speaking to Charlie, a spider who lives on our porch.

Gimpy Dog Ranch: Hello Charlie, thanks for making yourself available for this interview. I must say that you look lovely in the morning light.

Charlie: …

Gimpy Dog Ranch: Recently, Andy and I were standing quite close to your web discussing the future of the covered porch. I’m sorry to say that we are going to be removing it soon, and I expressed my concern that it is currently your home. Just the next day, you moved to a spot much further down the post. I was quite surprised to see that you had moved – your location directly under the eave has been a constant fixture for several weeks. Are you planning to relocate in advance of the demolition?

Charlie: …

Gimpy Dog Ranch: Since you have been a long term resident of the porch, I’m curious to know what you’ve seen in terms of spider displacement as the ivy has been removed from around the property. It looks like the ivy was home to a significant amount of spiders, although predominately not orb weavers like yourself. Do you keep up with events outside the porch and/or outside your immediate species?

Charlie: …

Gimpy Dog Ranch: You were named Spider Hero of the Week back on October 2nd for your work in capturing a yellow jacket, and I know (but our readers are hearing it for the first time now) that you caught a second one a few days ago, and just now you caught two more!

I think we are all interested in hearing about your techniques for subduing the yellow jacket, an insect that strikes fear into the heart of many humans – how do you do it?

Charlie: …

Gimpy Dog Ranch: Speaking of technique, I happened to be able to watch another spider (I believe from the genus Steatoda)  capture a fly earlier today, not too far from your own web.

Are there pros and cons you can discuss for us regarding web and hunting styles between species?  Do you find that one sort of technique might favor a fly, and another a wasp? I’ve never seen a fly in your web.

Charlie: …

Gimpy Dog Ranch: The fly catching spider seems to be more of the itinerant type, rather than a permanent porch resident.  Do you mind the presence of other types of spiders passing through your area? Is there competition for prime spots on the porch? The spider density here at the ranch seems quite high in general.

Charlie: …

Gimpy Dog Ranch: I’m sure you have noticed that the days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder, and that it will be winter soon.  I understand that a female spider of your species will need to get an egg sac going before winter, if she wants to produce spiderlings for the next generation. Is this important to you? Is it something you are working on?

Charlie: …

Are there any other thoughts you’d like to share before we wrap things up?

Charlie: …

Thanks to you, Charlie, for taking my questions today, and for being an important part of our porch environment.  We wish you the best.