Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi in a Suburban Garden
e6filmuser
Registered Users Posts: 3,379 Major grins
A number of my topics start with saying that my wife had wanted to show me something in the garden. This time, she mentioned a spider with two yellow stripes.
The only spider I was aware, with such stripes, was the raft spider (subject of a recent topic). Yes, there had been a lot of rain but surely not…
The stripes were ventral, the dorsal surface having transverse ones. It was a spider that I had seen only in continental Europe, although I knew that it occurred in the UK. It was the Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi. There it was, suspended on its web between two tomato plants.
On this day, it had a white squiggle of thickened, white web extending vertically downwards. On the second and third day this was missing, to reappear on the fourth day (last image).
For two days, the spider showed its ventral side only. On the second day I managed to move the tomato plants slightly outwards and get some shots of the dorsal side of the spider, using my Lumix 14-45mm and its AF.
On the third and fourth days, the spider had moved to a position high up (9 feet) on the outside of a large picture window, photos being possible only from the top of a step ladder. (They are supposed to make webs near ground level. As their favourite prey are grasshoppers and crickets, so it may go a bit hungry!).
Images, except for the Lumix shots, were shot though either my Kiron 105mm macro or the 150mm Printing Nikkor, the latter set at about 1:2 at the sensor, with twin or triple flash, respectively. The final image was taken after failing to show the web structure successfully with the spider in front of the window. It was shot from inside, not using flash, which would have emphasised any dirt on the outside of the glass. I have left in the colour of the sky rather than go to complete silhouette. The rearmost left leg is missing.
I thought my ten-year-old nephew might be impressed with a large, yellow-striped spider. Without looking up from what he was doing, he said there had been one on the window of his club hut.
This is one of our largest spiders, the females up to 2cm, larger when full of eggs. It is in the same family as Araneus, the common garden orb web spider. The fine webbing behind which it lurks is said to help hide it.
My spider book (1995) says the species is well-established near the south coast but absent from the rest of Britain. A friend has seen it at a nature reserve about a half hour drive from here. So that is two localities 50 miles from the nearest coast! Recording scheme data shows it to be spreading northwards.
Harold
The only spider I was aware, with such stripes, was the raft spider (subject of a recent topic). Yes, there had been a lot of rain but surely not…
The stripes were ventral, the dorsal surface having transverse ones. It was a spider that I had seen only in continental Europe, although I knew that it occurred in the UK. It was the Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi. There it was, suspended on its web between two tomato plants.
On this day, it had a white squiggle of thickened, white web extending vertically downwards. On the second and third day this was missing, to reappear on the fourth day (last image).
For two days, the spider showed its ventral side only. On the second day I managed to move the tomato plants slightly outwards and get some shots of the dorsal side of the spider, using my Lumix 14-45mm and its AF.
On the third and fourth days, the spider had moved to a position high up (9 feet) on the outside of a large picture window, photos being possible only from the top of a step ladder. (They are supposed to make webs near ground level. As their favourite prey are grasshoppers and crickets, so it may go a bit hungry!).
Images, except for the Lumix shots, were shot though either my Kiron 105mm macro or the 150mm Printing Nikkor, the latter set at about 1:2 at the sensor, with twin or triple flash, respectively. The final image was taken after failing to show the web structure successfully with the spider in front of the window. It was shot from inside, not using flash, which would have emphasised any dirt on the outside of the glass. I have left in the colour of the sky rather than go to complete silhouette. The rearmost left leg is missing.
I thought my ten-year-old nephew might be impressed with a large, yellow-striped spider. Without looking up from what he was doing, he said there had been one on the window of his club hut.
This is one of our largest spiders, the females up to 2cm, larger when full of eggs. It is in the same family as Araneus, the common garden orb web spider. The fine webbing behind which it lurks is said to help hide it.
My spider book (1995) says the species is well-established near the south coast but absent from the rest of Britain. A friend has seen it at a nature reserve about a half hour drive from here. So that is two localities 50 miles from the nearest coast! Recording scheme data shows it to be spreading northwards.
Harold
0
Comments
Thanks,. SB.
Sometimes desperation pays off.
Harold
Harold
Brian v.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/
http://www.lordv.smugmug.com/
Thanks, Brian.
Nothing beats a subject which poses for several days in your own garden!
California Country Park at Finchampstead is reputed to have them.
Harold
Thanks,
Harold