Photo Adventures with Curiosity and Learning


July 17, 2008: Spider therapy beats work

Today, work just did me in. So by 3pm I was off for a bit of spider therapy. Expecting the large web of golden silk at her usual home, I was surprised to find the web gone as if someone had literally pulled it down. I found a few strands of support silk leading back into the forest so I followed these. Nothing. Just as I was about to give up, I looked to one side and there she was - hanging by 3 legs from a tangle of white silk. There were 5 males looking on - and what an opportunity to take some shots without the web constraining me or my tripod. Here is an orientation photo: She is hanging with her first and 2nd legs just suspended in the air, and two of the 5 males are to the left.

jul 17 0269 female hanging

These two males then moved to sort of have a discussion just above her leg.

jul 17 1296 2 males reflection

Here are 3 males and the tangle of white silk

jul 17 1303 3 males

Two males just thinking about who starts the mating game first?

jul 17 1336 2 males

The lower male obviously won the coin toss and decided to be first

jul 17 1344 2 male profile

Now he is climbing onto her abdomen

jul 17 1346 2 males

Later another decided it was his turn

jul 17 1390 male crossing

Takes his first stop

jul 17 1399 male white neck

And slowly makes his way along the ventral side of her abdomen

jul 17 1404 male spotlight

Another small step - followed by a brush-off

jul 17 1414 male on female

Back to the tangle

jul 17 1423 male tangle

Then another try. The lighting with the sun and clouds changing was really neat - almost as if there was a spot light on her back.

jul 17 1457 male mate profile

Now he is walking to the mating position

jul 17 1460 male walking

A bit closer

jul 17 1461 male almost closer

And a bit closer (the variation in light has to do with dying batteries in my flash. But then she flicked him off

jul 17 1463 male almost

And another decided to try. This is a remarkable photo because you can clearly see the dragline silk strand extruded from the male's spinneret. Remember that the male is only about 5 - 8 mm long.

jul 17 1499 male silk mount

He manages to climb on

jul 17 1505 male mount

And make slow progress

jul 17 1527 male ventral female

Ever so careful not to disturb the female

jul 17 1529 male female

You'll have to guess the end of the story because my compact flash card was full (these images are shot in raw mode with a 2 GB CF - so I get about 200 shots / card.

jul 17 1532 female nephila

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

C. Frank Starmer

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