Note: Click on the photo for a full screen view and then hit your browser's back button to return to the blog. Seriously folks, you have to see the full screen view of these photos! If you don't click on the photo I'm not going to post anymore, ever, that will be it, the end, finished, forever.
We've seen lots of these spiders out in the pasture along the fences.
We've also spotted several while we were out irrigating in the alfalfa fields.
I think they are beautiful!
This one's body (not including it's legs) is probably the size of my pinkie, say 1/2" X 1 1/4".
This one is busy wrapping a fly up in a straight jacket with it's extremely strong and sticky web stuff.
(I know... don't hate me because of my big vocabulary when it comes to describing spider stuff!)
She lives in the "preschool" chicken coop along with at least 7 of her sisters!
I hate going in there to turn on the lights when it is dark outside.
I'm paranoid I'm going to stick my hand in one of these spiders' webs
while groping around in the dark for the light switch!
These spiders must be nocturnal, because I don't see much of them during the day,
but I always see them at night and many times first thing in the morning
when I am doing my morning chores.
Did you read these previous posts?
Wow, That's a BIG Spider!
The Spider, an Update!
The Spider, Again!
I think this is the same spider from those posts.
I've been checking on her almost ever day and she never leaves this place where she seems to have made her home.
We've seen lots of these spiders out in the pasture along the fences.
We've also spotted several while we were out irrigating in the alfalfa fields.
I think they are beautiful!
This one's body (not including it's legs) is probably the size of my pinkie, say 1/2" X 1 1/4".
This one is busy wrapping a fly up in a straight jacket with it's extremely strong and sticky web stuff.(I know... don't hate me because of my big vocabulary when it comes to describing spider stuff!)
She lives in the "preschool" chicken coop along with at least 7 of her sisters!
I hate going in there to turn on the lights when it is dark outside.
I'm paranoid I'm going to stick my hand in one of these spiders' webs
while groping around in the dark for the light switch!
These spiders must be nocturnal, because I don't see much of them during the day,
but I always see them at night and many times first thing in the morning
when I am doing my morning chores.
Did you read these previous posts?
Wow, That's a BIG Spider!
The Spider, an Update!
The Spider, Again!
I think this is the same spider from those posts.
I've been checking on her almost ever day and she never leaves this place where she seems to have made her home.
Interesting, huh?I wonder what those big holes are for in her back.
Look at the stripes on her body.
And why are some spiders so hairy while others are not???
The End
Goodnight, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite... or the SPIDERS!
Goodnight, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite... or the SPIDERS!
Posts
Re: your last question. I suppose aliens would ask the same thing of most American women vs some European women.
ReplyDelete:-D
Kathi:
ReplyDeleteYou showed a picture of a spider that you said is found along fencelines in the pastures.
That particular spider is the Argiope Trifansciata. That is the technical name of
course, but mostly recognized as the Banded
Garden Spider. They are quite large and are
found in the countryside quite a lot and around
old barns and sheds. They are also found in tall
grass, flower and food gardens. They come out mostly at the end of September and the beginning of October, when the weather starts to cool off and after the rainy season is over,
as they prefer the drier climate.
They have three large bands which cross their
backs and have smaller bands between the larger.
They vary in color from white, brown and black.
On their stomachs, there are two large yellow
bands that go from top to bottom.
Their legs are also banded with intermittent
yellows and brown and black. They have very
long legs. Kind of reminds me of a girl I use
to go with from Corpus Christie Texas decades
ago. She wasn't creepy though.
The female has a very large abdomen that can carry as many as 100 eggs. Imagine that many
creepy crawlies all at once in the same place !!
They weave a mostly irregular web, I think to
just get the job done, nothing fancy and intricate for them. Whatever gets stuck in the
web becomes dinner on the table for her. Yumm!!
They are almost totally blind. They sense other
things in their presence by vibration and little
breezes of wind as something passes by them.
Whenever they feel threatened, they actually
stand on their head. I suppose if I was another
spider seeing this garden spider standing on its
head, I would probably think that this is a nutcase of a spider and quickly depart the area.
Another trick they use is to twist their legs
into pairs of two's. I believe it is a ploy to
make their snacks think that this isn't really
a spider, as it appears that it only has four
legs. When the intruder gets into the web, zappo, the legs unwind and all eight are on the
attack so she can gobble up the tasty morsel.
They have a bite, but is almost a non-event as
no one has ever gotten sick or been hospitalized
from their bite. It is sort of like a skeeter bite. Their venom is almost non-existent, except
to the wayward grasshopper or fly that gets too
brave. Then watch out !!
Unlike the Black Widow, they do NOT kill or eat
the male after mating. I am glad humans don't
indulge in this type of activity, as I am sure
there would be few men left on the planet.
We found one in our garden next to the house
yesterday. My grandson and I put it into a big
ol' Mason jar, punched some holes in the lid,
added some grass and leaves and then dribble a
little water on the nest. She seems quite happy,
although I did leave the lid on last night.
For some reason, I thought I had a creature like
this in bed last night, Maybe, maybe not. I don't know for sure. Must have been a dream,
maybe not though. Not sure now !
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
Robert Lee Sharp