Show us your worldwide arachnids and insects.

[Geoff]

Australian Red-back spider (female). This species is closely related to the American Black Widow.

 

I was actually doing some maintenance on the back deck. When I turned this board over this lovely girl was inches from both my hands.

Note to self - wear gloves next time.

 

 

[Geoff]

Fishing Spider (Dolomedes instabilis). A powerful spider, they feed on aquatic insects, fish, frogs and tadpoles & will also take land based insects such as crickets.

 

I was photographing frogs when I noticed this spider on the surface. I got this frame before the spider dove underwater and hid amongst the aquatic vegetation.

[Geoff]

Badge Huntsman Spider (Neosparassus diana) Found pretty much Australia wide. I found this one on a tree trunk in the front yard.

Along with numerous other Huntsman species they are often found inside houses. Scary looking but pretty much harmless.

 

 

 

[Geoff]

One of the many Australasian Garden Orb-Weaver spiders (Genus Hortophora) I have no idea what species.

 

 

[offshorebirder]

Some very nice spider photos @Geoff.

 

I like Orb Weavers and my favorite is Hentz Orb Weaver (Neoscona crucifera).   Each night they weave a web and at dawn they consume most of it (not wasting resources) but leave a few anchor lines in place for rebuilding their web come nightfall.   They spend the day hiding in crevices, rolled-up leaves held together with spider web, or posing as a gall on a branch in plain sight.

 

One morning I came upon a Hentz Orb Weaver ascending to her perch at the tip of a branch - she looked like a bud or unopened flower.