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  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

The SPIDER THREAD - post your spiders here.

Paul Iddon

Moderator
Not long to wait now before they hatch...

This is my resident cellar spider.

eggs_soon_a_4k_1800-XL.jpg



Paul.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Is this with your usual optics or you did something special here?


18A2902D-1B01-4527-9FAE-2D28D9BE70C7.jpeg


Or perhaps it’s just cropped and your camera has great resolution!

Asher
 

Paul Iddon

Moderator
The cross spider - or European Garden Spider, became an early subject of me trying the EVF on my new R10.

The major issue was this little lady was easily more than 6 feet up a bush - and I am just about 6 feet tall - putting her almost out of range for sticking my eye to a viewfinder and getting into a position allowing photographs to be taken

Still, unperturbed, I fired of a few and here are 3 from this attempt. Next time, I think I'll take a step ladder with me.

Incidentally, it was pitch dark, as these were taken around 11pm....

Garden spiders of course, like to be upside down....

newcross_c_4k_1800-XL.jpg


newcross_b_4k_1800-XL.jpg


newcross_a_4k_1800-XL.jpg



Paul.
 

Paul Iddon

Moderator
The Terrified Victim!!!


I went out again tonight and found the false widow spider still showing well - and this time I used the EVF to try and frame him.

The eyes were not quite sharp enough really for me, but the shooting conditions were challenging -11pm at night and therefore completely dark...

Tonight though - he has some supper - and I think his victim looks absolutely terrified!

retreat_a_4k_1800-XL.jpg


dining_a_4k_1800-XL.jpg


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dining_c_4k_1800-XL.jpg



Paul.
 

Paul Iddon

Moderator
Tonight, the wind is howling and gusting - certainly not the right conditions for night photography!

Didn't stop me though folks!

This is the Steatoda bipunctata (one of the false widow spiders, also known as the Rabbit Hutch Spider) on the garden fence wrapping up her capture - a hapless small froghopper.

steo_a_4k_1800-XL.jpg



Paul.
 

Paul Iddon

Moderator
My intended subject (Nuctenea umbratica) unfortunately fell from the fence panel to the ground...

I searched in vain to find it, then spotted a pale spiderling in the moss, so grabbed as good a photo as I could on such a small subject.

Imagine my surprise when opened in Lightroom to find not one, but 2 spiders... Plus on the fence moments a was a small mouse spider Scotophaeus blackwalli.

The two tiny spiders are Philodromus sp. (Running spider) and a juvenile Steatoda nobilis.

scotophaeus_blackwalli_a_4k_2000-XL.jpg


two_spiders_a_4k_2000-XL.jpg



Paul.
 

Paul Iddon

Moderator
The wind was strong which meant I never got a 100% clean shot - but here's one fairly close, of a missing sector orb weaver spider (Zygiella x-notata).

missingsectornew_a_4k_2000-XL.jpg


Paul.
 

Paul Iddon

Moderator
I have quite a few of these Rabbit Hutch spiders on the fence panels around the garden area - and tonight I found one of them preparing his main course... an unfortunate shield bug.

rabbit_hutch_shield-bug_a_4k_1800-XL.jpg



Paul.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
How much is there to eat? Does it only eat soft parts. I notice that the preying mantis has no problem on chomping on insect exeskelrtons!

Can spiders do that too?

Asher
 

Paul Iddon

Moderator
They don't eat the exoskeletons no - just the innards. The fangs inject a digestive enzyme into the insect that liquefies its insides. Then the spider is able to drink its meal like a powerful protein shake. After they are done eating, the insect may look normal, but all that remains is an empty exoskeleton.

Paul.
 
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