#838: Wolf Spider

Wolf Spiders are solitary and agile hunters, with various species ranging in size from 1 - 3.4 cm in length. Due to their active lifestyle, Wolf Spiders do not build webs nor nests, instead the female carries her egg sac on her abdomen. Although this appears awkward, she is still capable of hunting. When the spiderlings hatch, they crawl up onto her abdomen, and travel with her.

#801: Viciria

Viciria are a Family of jumping spiders, characterised by their slender abdomens. Like all spiders, he is carnivorous, feeding on insects.

This species is Viciria praemandibulari, the wide-jawed viciria, and this is a male.The female is more brightly coloured. Like many jumping spiders, Viciria display a level of maternal care, with the female tending to her eggs and newly hatched offspring. The wide-jaws viciria lives in Indonesia, Singapore, Sulawesi and Sumatra.

Creature Feature #745: Tarantula

There are approximately 900 species of Tarantula, with a range that encompasses much of the tropics and subtropical regions. The smallest species is the size of a fingernail, the largest as big as a dinner plate. These hairy arachnids come in a variety of colours, with brown being popular, but there is also the brilliant blue Peacock Tarantula, and various other species, including this Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula. Some species are aboreal, others terrestrial. All are predators, using ambush techniques to hunt their prey - which ranges in size from tiny insects, up to lizards, mice and even birds, depending on the species (and the size).

Tarantulas are sometimes kept as pets. They  are all venomous, but there are no recorded fatalities from being bitten. Once again, the venom varies across species - some being no worse than a wasp sting, others causing muscle cramps, severe pain and hallucinations.

#715: Spider

Happy Halloween!

The third Arachnid this month, the Spider is probably the most well known of the Class. Spiders are characterised by their eight legs and venom-injecting fangs. With over 45 thousand species identified, they occur on every continent excluding Antarctica and every habitat except the air and the sea. They are almost exclusively carnivorous and use a variety of techniques to hunt. Orb web spiders build sticky webs,  in which to trap their prey; wolf and jumping spiders stalk, ambush and pounce; others fling bolas made from web, or use trickery to capture and devour other spiders. Because they are unable to digest solids, Spiders must liquify their prey before consumption. To enable this, they flood it with digestive enzymes and grind it between their pedipalps.

Spiders are useful in pest and insect control, their venom can be used in medicine or pesticides, and the spider silk werbbing can be used to make cloth. Yet they are one of the most commonly feared types of animal in the world. According to statistics, about 50% of women, and 10% of men, are scared of spiders. This may be an instinctual fear, as only a few species are actually harmful to humans and are unlikely to bite unless provoked and trapped. Spiders are beautiful too, they come in an array of colours and shapes.

Creature Feature #579: Pelican Spider

I recentlystumbled upon this arachnid whilst researching something else entirely and couldn't believe it existed and that I've never heard of it! I mean, a spider with a neck???!!! And that's ignoring the long jaws. But real it is, indeed. And, I suppose if you can get weird looking insects, weird looking arachnids are not entirely out of the question.

The Pelican Spider is named such for its completely superficial resemblance to the water bird. She is also sometimes known as the Assassin Spider because her favoured prey is spiders. She does not build a web, using her silk mainly to help manouvere. No larger than a grain of rice, her elongated jaws allow her to impale her prey and inject it with venom, whilst holding it far enough away that it cannot harm her.

Firstly, the Spider uses her short front legs like antennae, to detect a spider web. Once located, she begins to move slowly across the web, so slowly that the resident spider feels no impending sense of doom, but may venture over to investigate the slight plucking. Then, she strikes, her jaws impale and the prey is poisoned. Once movement has ceased, she lowers it to her mouth - which is situated at the base of her neck.

There are 25 species found in Australia, South Africa and Madagascar.

Creature Feature #574: Peacock Jumping Spider

The Peacock Spiders are a Genus of Jumping Spider found in Australia. The male performs an elaborate courtship dance where he raises their third pair of legs and their abdomen, flashing their brightly colours to attract a mate. He inhabits low bushes and the ground, and like all Jumping Spiders follows a nomadic lifestyle, stalking and hunting insect prey.

If you're really lucky, you might get a second peacock spider tomorrow. Otherwise it'll be an actual peacock!

Creature Feature #539: Orb-weaver Spider

Orb-weaver Spiders are a large Family of arachnids, named for their spiral-shaped webs.These webs are an engineering feat, created first by floating a thread on the wind to a nearby anchoring point, then securing it and making a Y shape, upon which the rest of the structure follows. Non-sticky radii are created next, enabling the spider to manouvere about her web without becoming stuck, as she adds in the adhesive layers. She thren retreats under cover and waits for insects to blunder into her web. Once captured she will bite it, paralysing it, then wrap it and store it for future consumption. Every night she eats her web and builds a fresh one.

This is an Autralian Garden Orb-weaver Spider. She comes in a variety of sizes, colours and shapes and is found in gardens all over Australia.

Not that long ago, I watched a spider succesfully subdue a bee, a complicated dance involving much darting forward and throwing silk, then dodging out of the way of her stinger. Eventually the bee weaked and the spider wrapped her up thoroughly, snipped the threads holding the bundle in place and dragged her up to store under the guttering. It was impressive to watch. Someone later suggested that I should have saved the bee - I would like to say that a, we do not interfere with nature and b, it was already pretty sluggish when I began watching the show. A short while later, someone washed our windows and destroyed the web in the process, but luckily the spider had her food and retreated into safety, thus could be back the next day to create another one.

Creature Feature #520: Nursery-web Spider

Nursery-web Spiders resemble wolf spiders. There are numerous species, the most well-known being the European Pisaura mirabilis. During courtship, the male spider presents the female with an insect, wrapped in webbing. Whilst the female is distracted, her mandibles otherwise engaged, he will surreptitiously mate with her, then make his escape before she decides to have him for dessert. If the female tries to escape wtih the gift, he may feign death, becoming limp and allowing himself to be dragged along until he can "resurrect" and resume copulation. The egg sac is carried in the mother's jaws, until they near hatching, when she constructs an elaborate tent-like nursery, puts her eggs inside and stands guard.

Creature Feature #361: Jumping Spider

The Jumping Spider Family, Salticidae, contains more than 5,000 species. These eight-legged hunters have excellent vision, with four pairs of eyes, including her large anterior eyes. This vision assists her in hunting, courtship and navigation. She is a diurnal hunter, preying on small insects. She makes her leaps by altering the pressure of fluid within them, allowing her to jump several times the length of her body. She does not build webs, using her silk as a safety rope, but occasionally will create a small silken shelter to protect her - and her eggs. Certain species of Jumping Spider have been shown to be capable of learning, recognising and remembering colours, and changing her behaviour accordingly.

Creature Feature #301: Happy Face Spider

The tiny Happy Face Spider lives only on the Hawaiian islands. She is named for her characteristic abdomen which, in some individuals, resembles a happy face. In others it can be frowning, or somewhat more abstract. This patterning varies across the islands. Measuring a mere 5 mm, her life is mostly spend beneath the foliage in the rainforests. Here she builds a somewhat reduced web than other spiders, feeding on small insects. Unlike most spider species, she exhibits strong maternal care. Not only does she guard her egg sac, but when the spiderlings hatch she will catch insects for them to feed upon.

Creature Feature #216: Enamelled Spider

The Enamelled Spider is a large Orb-Web Spider, found in the eastern and southern states of Australia. The body length of the females can measure up 18mm, with the legs making her appear rather larger. Webs are elaborate and beautiful, as is the spider herself, her abdomen shimmering in shades of green and brown. Colouration can vary by geographical location. She is primarily nocturnal, lurking in vegetation during the day and coming out at night to dine on flying insects trapped in her web.  Her web is built approximately 1 metre from the ground and at a slight angle to better catch her prey.

Creature Feature #134: Crab Spider

Crab Spider is a fanciful name commonly given to members of the Thomisidae Family, for their crab-like appearance or tendency to sit with their front legs slightly raised. Predominently, she is an ambush hunter, hiding amongst flowers and waiting for insects to drop by. Some species are even known to change colour, camouflaging with their flower haunts, whereas others resemble bird roppings. Her flattened body allows her to crawl into narrow crevices and hide in small cracks. Her front legs are very strong, and when she locates her prey she snatches it close, incapcitating it with a venomous bite. Although they do not build webs, Crab Spiders use their silk as drop lines, lowering themselves into new hunting environments.