Who doesn’t like spiders?

I mean really, come on. Take a close look at a spider and you can’t help but be fascinated by their complex little bodies. Eight legs, eight eyes, spinnerets! I have been taking pictures of spiders over the summer – and not just by chance. I have been seeking them out. Peeking in dark corners and under leaves, switching into detective mode whenever I notice even a tiny bit of web, and, ok, obsessing just a little bit.

Unfortunately for my new spider obsession – it hasn’t been much of a year for spiders. At least not around here. I haven’t found any of the impressive yellow and black argiopes in the gardens around the nature center. No big fat marbled orb weavers in the meadow. No silver argiope on the trails. No wolf spiders dragging egg cases or carting around newly hatched young. Sigh.

Also, my groovy new digital camera (that allows me to share the big beautiful world with you all) hates spiders. I’m convinced of it. One second they will be in focus and then the next, it’s like they aren’t even there.

Being a bat lady at heart, I guess it is hard for me to understand why people fear spiders. The thing is, while I have always found them interesting, it wasn’t until I really started seeking them out that I was able to truly appreciate how amazing they are.

Despite the paucity of “findable” spiders this summer, I did manage to capture a few. So, here goes…

My “almost invisible” office mate

Just look at that leg posture – crab spider for sure. This is the first time I have found a crab spider that was so dark. He (I’m guessing here – I didn’t get a good look at the pedipalps to know for sure) surprised me one day by appearing on the floor of my office at the nature center.

Ballooning

How precious is this one? I found it one afternoon as I was eating lunch at the zoo. It is using the corner of my lunch tray as a launching platform. Its butt is hoisted up in the air so that a good breeze can catch the line of silk trailing behind it and carry it off to a new adventure. Most young spiders, and some adult ones too, use this method of transportation to get from place to place. It is called “ballooning.”

Too cute for his own good

This is a jumping spider and he is just too cute for his own good. It was a miracle I got this shot - jumpers are almost hyper in their movements and barely give you time to focus. And they do jump. This little one was too excited to sit still and jumped from plant, to bench, to my hand, and back again. Notice the two central eyes and how much larger they are than the rest. Jumpers have binocular vision thanks to those big eyes. Sometimes, when you are fortunate enough to have one on your hand, they will make eye contact with you. Try to get them to look at you – turn your hand so you can see those big eyes and give them a strong look. If they look back you will know it because they will stop shifting around and actually raise up slightly using their front legs. And, of course, those eyes will be looking right back at you. Being stared at by a jumping spider is very cool, that is until you start having thoughts of him suddenly jumping onto your head.

I’ve got too many spider pics for one post but you have to see this one. I almost missed finding this lovely lady. She is the crowning spider of my pics so far this year (my spider pics, that is). Thanks to my digital camera, I can go places I normally wouldn’t be able to – like in the leafy lair of a shamrock spider…

Hidden treasure

I suspected there was a spider in there so, I set my camera to the macro setting and held it under the leaf to see what might be inside. The first visitors of the day found me in the bushes taking picture after picture and, of course, talking to her.

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