While hanging around waiting for the GBH to do something active, I started looking in the Sea Grape below the nest.  There was a large chaotic spider web there and after looking around a bit I found the spider that created it.  It was unusual so I put the image up on Bugguide.net and found out that it was a Cyrtophora citricola – Tropical tent-web spider.

It looks like this species might be a real traveller.  It is known in Europe, Africa and South America and has recently been discovered in Florida.  I suspect that it tagged along with european colonization.

If you look at the little stick at the bottom right of the picture above you will find another smaller spider hiding.  You can see the You can see the Tropical Tent-Web spider better in this picture on the left.   I was told the little spider is hard to find so here it is in the right picture.

I also found a crab-like orbweaver with it’s nice nest near the fishing pier.

You can see that it leaves the central portion of it’s web open.  To prevent things getting through the bullseye you can see the little markers it puts over the area.  Insects see that and try to miss the obstruction.  Oooops, that puts them right in the trap area of the web.