A plague of spiderwebs

I am not an arachnophobe, but when a friend sent me a link to this photo and I clicked on it, the only possible reaction was "AAAAIIEEEEE!"

It turns out that the spiders probably feel the same way. This isn't normal behavior for the wolf spider (thank goodness). They're trying to escape flooding in Wagga Wagga, Australia. As a spider expert told an Australian newspaper:

In an attempt to escape rising waters, the spiders climb blades of grass and let out hundreds of metres of silk in the hope a gust of wind will catch the web and transport them to safety, he said.

''What you are seeing is the result of all their failed attempts to get away.''

To give an idea of the extent of these webs, here's a photo with a terrier for scale:

You can check out more photos, if you can stand it, at The Telegraph. There's one of an entire field covered in webs. Don't say I didn't warn you.

-Wombat (No Relation)

Time for me to move on

UPDATE: To those that are missing it, there are a few writers for this blog. Just because I'm leaving, doesn't mean the others are. Ugly Overload continues. You just won't have my posts on here anymore.

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Hey there Ugly Overloadians. Sadly, I won't be able to update this blog anymore. My schooling is absorbing almost 100% of my time, now. That's not unexpected with the degree I'm working toward, though.

That said, I still maintain a Tumblr blog with neat photos of entomology as well as other little critters I find fascinating. Feel free to find me there, if you are so inclined.

http://jadeneternal.tumblr.com/

Thank you to everyone that encouraged me to start contributing to this blog so long ago. I'm glad you all enjoyed my wonderful pet bugs :)

Also, to keep in theme with Ugly Overload (which is still one of my favorite blogs ever), I'll leave you with some of my newest bug photos:







The spider in these pictures was a gift from my wife. It's an adult female Avicularia versicolor (Antillies pinktoe tarantula). Versies are my favorite animal, hands down. Ironically, as sweet natured as they are, it's the only species of spider ever to bite me in my 14 years of working with bugs– and to top it off it was a baby that bit me.

When I got her, I told my better-half that I wanted a picture of her on my face. Being such a sweet spider, we didn't anticipate any difficulty with this idea. We sat down to do the photo, I put her on my face, and she quickly climbed onto the top of my head. The Mrs. snapped a quick photo before the spider jumped off and onto the floor. When I picked her up, she freaked out, locked her legs, and extended her fangs as if she was ready to bite. I calmly held my hand by her enclosure to let her walk off on her own. It was a ten minute stare down, where one slight move would have caused me to be bitten. Thanks to one of the photos taken, I got to see just how bad a spot I was in, as venom was dripping off her fangs (third photo). After around ten minutes passed, she calmly walked into her enclosure, and I stopped sweating.

After the fact, I had time to figure out what happened. I finally realized it was my shampoo. I'd just taken a shower a few minutes before we went to take the picture. Spiders taste through special receptors in their feet, which means that some chemical in my shampoo caused my little girl to freak out like none-other. Needless to say, I won't be attempting this right out of the shower ever again.

-Jaden
theeternalmusic.com

Happy-Face Spider Says High

Greetings. I'm tkrausse, occasional commenter and new poster here. To celebrate my joining the team, I decided that we need a cheerful post. Hence, the aptly-named Happy-Face Spider

This little guy, more formally known as Theridion grallator, is native to the Hawaiian islands. It grows to a length of about five millimeters. On The Island of Maui, the patterns tend to be hereditary, but on the other islands they appear to change based on the spider's diet. Given their small size, as well as their ability at hiding during the day, they aren't a major prey item on anyone's menu. The purpose of their coloring is still unknown.

Picture posted on Wikipedia commons by user Kahlzun

Gratuitous Spider Faces

I thought you all could use a gratuitous spread of spider faces. May they haunt your dreams, drive you to gratitude that they're itty-bitty, and give you pause to consider the dizzying variety of arachnids this planet has given us. (For myself, I'll lie awake wondering which one of these will creep onto my pillow to lap at the saliva at the corners of my lips.)

Photo source: Geoff Burrows

Photo source: jose

Photo source: Michael Larsen

Photo source: Gabriel Ancorage

Photo source: e_monk

Photo source: Phil Corley

Photo source: Norm Townsend

Photo source: Steve

Photo source: Shutterklik.com

Photo source: macroshinsky

Mitey Spider

It's rare that I feel bad for a spider. But I've got a soft spot for jumping spiders.

You see, he isn't festooned with decorative orange bulbs. He's infested by mites. The ones on the side of his head and on his back might not be so bad (though they may bleed him dry). But that one between the eyes is just too much. I don't know much about mite ecology. Will they eventually drop off and let the spider be? Will they kill their host? Do they come in any other festive colors?

UPDATE: Hugh Yeman informs us that this spider, as evidenced by the lack of pedipalps is actually a female. Thanks, Hugh.

Photo source: liewwk

Famous People and Their Trapdoor Spiders

Jade sent this one to us from This Blog Rules. Many species have been named after famous people, and this article names but a few of them. I plucked out the spiders and present them to you for your viewing pleasure.

First is Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi, a trapdoor spider native to Alabama and Florida named after Neil Young. Why did Jason Bond name this spider after Neil Young? Because he admires the singer's dedication to peace and justice. And nothing says peace and justice like an ambush predator.

The second spider is Stasimopus mandelai, another trapdoor spider. It is native to South Africa and is named after Nelson Mandela. Jason Bond is responsible for this name as well, wanting to honor the man's moral leadership. And nothing says moral leadership like a creature that lurks in hidey-holes to eat passersby.

Spiders Are Scary, It's Okay To Be Afraid Of Them

Karen sent in this link to a post by Allie over at Hyperbolie and a Half. Allie sums up my experience with spiders, though with more expletives. Enjoy the link.

Ogre-Face

Behold the glorious visage of the ogre-faced spider (family Deinopidae). These spiders are unique in the arachnid world for their method of catching prey. The are found worldwide in the tropics.

Photo source: G. McGavin via BBC

They hang face down with a rectangular net dangling between their feet. When an unsuspecting insect rolls by, the spider presses the web on them, and the insect is ensnared. The web isn't sticky. It's so wooly that the prey gets entangled.

I used similar techniques to ensnare my younger siblings when I was going through a ... more aggressive phase of my childhood, using blankets and sheets. And, by coincidence, my siblings came up with a variety of nicknames for me: stupid-face, dumb-face, ugly-face, and, yes, ogre-face.

Thanks for leading me to this little monster, Tom.

Lego Spider

Doctor Mobius crafted for himself a massive spider made of thousands of Lego pieces. That Legos should be put to such evil uses is an affront to all of my cherished childhood memories.

Well, maybe I'm not so much affronted as I am jealous. I've never been cool enough to make something like this. Look at all those antennae used for hairs! Is that genius or what? It even comes with eggs in the abdomen (first shot) and a place for troops (last shot). The fang even siphon human souls, like most spiders.

Thanks for the link, Jaden.

Camouflaged Spread

Jaden sent us this link from ThisBlogRules.com. Enjoy this spread of camouflaged creatures, including a crab spider, a scorpion fish, a stone fish, and an orchid mantis. Thanks, Jaden.

Atraxotoxin

Sydney funnel-web spiders are one of only two Australian funnel-web spiders known to have inflicted fatal bites on humans. Combine their toxicity with their aggression, and you've got a notorious spider.

They range in size from 1 to 3 inches, with the females being larger. The females spend their time in their silken, tubular burrow retreats, while the males spend the warmer months wandering about in search of a receptive female.

Back to their venom: it contains a substance known as atraxotoxin (good name for a rock band?), which is highly toxic to primates. We humans are therefore advised to steer clear of these spiders. The males seek out water, and are therefore often found floating in pools. But they have survive such conditions for 24-hours, and can still deliver a full envenomation bite if plucked from the water without care. Said the funnel-web spider to its bitten savior, "You knew what I was when you pulled me from the water."

Photo source: Tim Marshall

Plush Spider

The cephalothorax of this Argiope bruennichi (photographed in de Hekslootpolder in Haarlem --the Netherlands ) looks nice and fuzzy, like I'd expect it to. But that abdomen, it looks so soft, almost like a plush stuffed animal. I almost want to touch it.

But I know that's just what she wants of me, to lure me in so she can strike, wrap me up in a cocoon, and transform me into a living zombie so that her offspring can feast upon me when they hatch. Either that, or she'd skitter away if I got to close and hide in the shadows. One of the two.

Photo source: Ge van 't Hoff

It's Watching Me

It's almost spring, and that means that my backyard will soon be infested with orb weavers. This is what one looks like when it's watching me through the window at night. It's thinking about sneaking in and lapping at the drool that's collecting on my pillow. But I've got an ear-piercing shriek that will shatter its chitin, so I'm okay.

Photo source: Andrew Teng

Shouldn't Get So Large

Spiders just shouldn't get so large that they can straddle something made for human hands. Seriously, this spider has a potential leg span of 12 inches.

They're known as huntsman spiders, giant crab spiders, wood spiders, or rain spiders. I know them as brown-out-in-my-pants spider. Thankfully, they've already been assigned its scientific name (Sparassidae), because the name I use doesn't translate well into Latin.

Photo source: Skye Auer

Using the Facilities

Usually when I get really scared, I feel an increased urge to ... use the facilities. But what happens when you're actually using the facilities, and a huntsman spider clambers up the bathroom wall a mere three feet from you? It's one of those cosmic paradoxes which for me threatens the Space-Time Continuum itself.

Thanks for the photo, Suzanne.

Spider Dining

Photo source: Robert Jackson via Australian Museum
Spiders dare upset my equilibrium by their very presence. So you can understand what wicked glee I find in seeing their demise, especially at the hands of jumping spiders (some of my favorite creepy crawlies). Here's a Portia sp. getting the jump (literally) on another spider.

And how about the photo below? That's right, it's a cricket eating a spider. More specifically, a king cricket that has overpowered and decided to dine upon a funnel web spider. How's that for upsetting the perceived natural order?

Thanks for the photos, Annie.

(bottom photo source: Ramon Mascord and the Australian Museum)