I'm visiting my family in New Hampshire this weekend and I found what is by far the biggest spider I've ever seen. Like, by a factor of three. Must've been a three-inch legspan, with a huge egg sac. Between the size, the coloration, and the location, I figure it's probably a fishing spider/dock spider/whatever they call them here.
Funny story. I've always had this vague recollection of being on this very beach as a little kid when a gargantuan spider ran out, which my dad then smashed with a rock. It was so enormous in my mind that for a long time I assumed it was just a dream that I was only half-remembering. But now I think that one of these ladies could have easily seemed that big through the eyes of a four-year-old.
That's a nice find, likely to be a Dolomedes aquaticus (fishing spider).
And the secret to photographing butterflies is an immense amount of patience, learning how to creep up on them and having a very good camera with a solid macro technique. Alternatively, to find out where they like to roost during bad weather or cold days and seek them out there.
I found this lovely Orb Weaver above my door last night. I was having fun trying to wave bugs into her web and watching her grab them, but then I got a little too zealous and tore her web a little, then she went to hide beneath the trim. I left the light on all night so the bugs would keep coming to her though, she's doing a better job at bug control than I could.
I'm not sure what she is though, best guess is that she's an Arabesque Orb Spider, but her markings don't quite match pics of seen of New England's orb spiders. And of course my phone was trying to focus on the door, so she came out a little blurry.
DisruptedCapitalist on
"Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
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valhalla13013 Dark Shield Perceives the GodsRegistered Userregular
We have some kind of orb weaver that spins a web right in front of our picture window every evening, then eats it all up in the morning. Somehow, he's clued in that at night, with our lights on inside, lots of bugs fly up to the window, and he has gotten very fat in a very short time span.
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Metzger MeisterIt Gets Worsebefore it gets any better.Registered Userregular
There's five or six HUGE orb weavers outside my grandpa's house on his porch and in my grandma's garden, and they're just the coolest y'all
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Foolproofthats what my hearts becomein that place you dare not look staring back at youRegistered Userregular
Remember to brush and not to crush mosquito. This bite really stings and itches because I killed the bug instead of letting it remove itself.
And another caterpillar. This one seems to have familiar color but I don't know it off the top of my head.
I met a lil millipede today! I don't see them often so it was pretty exciting for me. He was very tiny but I still managed to get some decent pics of him. One of my kitties was rolling around in the dirt nearby, and I got very close so he curled up for defense and I thought that was pretty neat
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Foolproofthats what my hearts becomein that place you dare not look staring back at youRegistered Userregular
maybe stealing that second image for desktop. the segmented spiral in red and black really works, it's stunning.
That actually means a lot to me because you take such beautiful pictures of bugs and stuff, whereas I'm just over here with my phone camera trying to do as best I can.
Darmak on
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Foolproofthats what my hearts becomein that place you dare not look staring back at youRegistered Userregular
edited September 2014
I think we both get some credit that probably belongs more to the subject's beauty.
Foolproof on
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BugBoyboy.EXE has stopped functioning.only bugs remainRegistered Userregular
I bought some fresh corn the other day, and when I peeled away the husk I was delighted to find a little caterpillar inside. I think it's one of these guys.
I thought he might be dead, since he'd been at refrigerator temperatures for about a day, but after 10 minutes or so he perked right back up
so he's my new bug pet! He progressed to the next instar today, which was really cool because he got a lot bigger and changed color. I'm hoping he'll pupate soon.
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Metzger MeisterIt Gets Worsebefore it gets any better.Registered Userregular
And thus began the reign of Bug Boy, and his swarms of terror
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knitdanIn ur baseKillin ur guysRegistered Userregular
Only you could be pleased about your food being infested.
“I was quick when I came in here, I’m twice as quick now”
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
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BugBoyboy.EXE has stopped functioning.only bugs remainRegistered Userregular
everything I eat just fuels my labors for bugkind, so it's pretty much the same either way
The Destroyer Hive - Typhus' mighty Terminator Armour has become as much a part of him as the daemonic insects that thrive inside. Fused chimneys of bone sprout from his torso, and in the thick of battle, these tubes will belch out great clouds of daemon flies. Each buzzes into the cracks and gaps they find in the armour of Typhus' opponents, stinging their victims with daemon-poison until there is nothing left but a pile of plague-riddled corpses.
Not really a fan of the black widow, but that brown recluse gives me the heebey-jeebies big time. Why the fuck does a predator whos prey is so small have to be so goddamn potently venomous?
Brown recluse are the NRA of Spiders. President Orbama weaver aint taking their venom.
I have a podcast now. It's about video games and anime!Find it here.
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valhalla13013 Dark Shield Perceives the GodsRegistered Userregular
I snapped this thru the window. The windows here are tinted so it's a little darker, but I thought it was pretty neat seeing the sun shine thru this guy's wings.
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Captain Marcusnow arrives the hour of actionRegistered Userregular
Not really a fan of the black widow, but that brown recluse gives me the heebey-jeebies big time. Why the fuck does a predator whose prey is so small have to be so goddamn potently venomous?
Why the fuck do people put venomous spiders on their hands? Widows can be very aggressive!
Not really a fan of the black widow, but that brown recluse gives me the heebey-jeebies big time. Why the fuck does a predator whose prey is so small have to be so goddamn potently venomous?
Why the fuck do people put venomous spiders on their hands? Widows can be very aggressive!
I found this lovely Orb Weaver above my door last night. I was having fun trying to wave bugs into her web and watching her grab them, but then I got a little too zealous and tore her web a little, then she went to hide beneath the trim. I left the light on all night so the bugs would keep coming to her though, she's doing a better job at bug control than I could.
I'm not sure what she is though, best guess is that she's an Arabesque Orb Spider, but her markings don't quite match pics of seen of New England's orb spiders. And of course my phone was trying to focus on the door, so she came out a little blurry.
Do you think this is it?
Araneus diedematus aka Cross Orbweaver or we just call them garden spider over here. They are super common in the UK. One of my favourite spiders, I think they're gorgeous.
I'm not sure if the colours are right, it's hard to tell on my phone.
Brovid Hasselsmof on
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BugBoyboy.EXE has stopped functioning.only bugs remainRegistered Userregular
I think this caterpillar gets bigger every time I look away
every day, I think he's ready to pupate, but all he wants to do is eat large amounts of corn surprisingly quickly
I found this lovely Orb Weaver above my door last night. I was having fun trying to wave bugs into her web and watching her grab them, but then I got a little too zealous and tore her web a little, then she went to hide beneath the trim. I left the light on all night so the bugs would keep coming to her though, she's doing a better job at bug control than I could.
I'm not sure what she is though, best guess is that she's an Arabesque Orb Spider, but her markings don't quite match pics of seen of New England's orb spiders. And of course my phone was trying to focus on the door, so she came out a little blurry.
Do you think this is it?
Araneus diedematus aka Cross Orbweaver or we just call them garden spider over here. They are super common in the UK. One of my favourite spiders, I think they're gorgeous.
I'm not sure if the colours are right, it's hard to tell on my phone.
Well, I got a better look at her this morning and her colors are pretty close to this pic:
Neoscona arabesca which from several websites I visited is the most common orb weaver in North America.
Also interesting:
The specific name arabesca was first described in 1841 by the French naturalist Charles Athanase Walckenaer (1771-1852), who appears to have mixed the Greek word αραβος (AHR-uh-bose) = a rattling, gnashing of teeth, with the Latin word esca = victuals, to reference the frenetic manner in which these spiders attack and consume their prey. Unless privy to this etymology, most typically pronounce the specific name air-ubb-ESS-kah, thinking it relates in some way to Arabia, which — from all indications — it does not.
DisruptedCapitalist on
"Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
I found this lovely Orb Weaver above my door last night. I was having fun trying to wave bugs into her web and watching her grab them, but then I got a little too zealous and tore her web a little, then she went to hide beneath the trim. I left the light on all night so the bugs would keep coming to her though, she's doing a better job at bug control than I could.
I'm not sure what she is though, best guess is that she's an Arabesque Orb Spider, but her markings don't quite match pics of seen of New England's orb spiders. And of course my phone was trying to focus on the door, so she came out a little blurry.
Do you think this is it?
Araneus diedematus aka Cross Orbweaver or we just call them garden spider over here. They are super common in the UK. One of my favourite spiders, I think they're gorgeous.
I'm not sure if the colours are right, it's hard to tell on my phone.
Well, I got a better look at her this morning and her colors are pretty close to this pic:
We have maybe 10 or 12 of these out in our garden right now, their thick webs going from one end of the garden to the other
Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
Tonight I picked up a house spider and put it outside. The last kind of spider to still creep me out, until now I've always used the glass-and-paper method. So I can finally, conclusively say that owning dozens of tarantulas over a decade will totally cure arachnophobia.
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That's a nice find, likely to be a Dolomedes aquaticus (fishing spider).
And the secret to photographing butterflies is an immense amount of patience, learning how to creep up on them and having a very good camera with a solid macro technique. Alternatively, to find out where they like to roost during bad weather or cold days and seek them out there.
I'm not sure what she is though, best guess is that she's an Arabesque Orb Spider, but her markings don't quite match pics of seen of New England's orb spiders. And of course my phone was trying to focus on the door, so she came out a little blurry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrharctia_isabella
I thought he might be dead, since he'd been at refrigerator temperatures for about a day, but after 10 minutes or so he perked right back up
so he's my new bug pet! He progressed to the next instar today, which was really cool because he got a lot bigger and changed color. I'm hoping he'll pupate soon.
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
He knows what we should all be expecting.
They have to react in that order so their icons line up.
I've been warning all of you
You didn't listen
It's a choice no man should be forced to make.
I was gonna tear it down but then I thought about all the goddamn mosquitoes that have been trying to make a meal of me.
Spider and I have a temporary alliance against the common foe, so long as he stays on his side of the porch.
Also, I saw the below video while cruising You-Tube.
Not really a fan of the black widow, but that brown recluse gives me the heebey-jeebies big time. Why the fuck does a predator whos prey is so small have to be so goddamn potently venomous?
Why the fuck do people put venomous spiders on their hands? Widows can be very aggressive!
People are dumb.
Do you think this is it?
Araneus diedematus aka Cross Orbweaver or we just call them garden spider over here. They are super common in the UK. One of my favourite spiders, I think they're gorgeous.
I'm not sure if the colours are right, it's hard to tell on my phone.
every day, I think he's ready to pupate, but all he wants to do is eat large amounts of corn surprisingly quickly
'Murica!
Well, I got a better look at her this morning and her colors are pretty close to this pic:
Neoscona arabesca which from several websites I visited is the most common orb weaver in North America.
Also interesting:
We have maybe 10 or 12 of these out in our garden right now, their thick webs going from one end of the garden to the other
A giant leech eating a giant worm.
I checked up on it today, and it's now a lovely pupa!
I'm so proud
Well.
How horrifying.