Spiny orb weaver
The Spiny orb weaver (or Gasteracantha cancriformis) is a beneficial spider found most commonly during the fall. The have a very short lifespan and the ones (there were 3) in the photos below will be dead by month's end. They'll lay their eggs and die. The males hang out on a single strand of webbing near the female's web. I didn't see any males while out.
The Spiny orb weaver can be white, orange, or yellow , with some having red spines or black spines. They have 6 pointy spines going around the body.
Some people call it the Crab (orb weaver) Spider but that common name is usually reserved for spiders in the family Thomisidae that are known as crab spiders.
I couldn't get too close because the wind was very strong causing the web to toss back and forth. I didn't want the web to attach to me and destroy the spider's work. They rebuild each day but still...
The female prefers to face head down in her web. I had to flip some photos and crawl beneath the web to get close to her face.
This is also an orb weaver - commonly known as the Hentz orbweaver (Neoscona crucifera) or spotted orb weaver.
I was out looking to get some fall shots and couldn't resist the spiders. I like spiders. I also like power lines. Both make me go squee. So do fluffy animals, reptiles, and some humans. 
Thank you,
Solly Mack
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I wonder if the birds think twice before swallowing that one.
