I had to be somewhere far away, early this morning.
A few mornings ago, the walk down to the pond was graced by this work in progress.
When I walked closer, I could see the jewelbox spider tessellating tricky trap threads.
These are very abundant this spring. Last year it was giant Golden Orbweavers everywhere you looked, now it's these tiny, ornate Jewelbox spiders that drape themselves across game trails around PFHQ.
It doesn't really matter what type of spider it is, I still do the heebie jeebie, slappy, wiggle dance when I walk into webs unexpectedly.
It's only a rumor that I scream like a little girl and repeat, "IS IT ON ME, IS IT ON ME? while slapping every square inch of my body.
20 comments:
I walk into their webs on my hikes about my woods too. Now I understand why Libby always lets me go first.
Pablo,
I always let the tallest person go first.
Ages ago, when we were visiting my grandpa on the St. Johns River and walking back through the woods after dark after a night of shrimping with the neighbors, I was terrified I would walk into a banana spider web.
That jewelbox spider web is a work of art.
Pablo,
I always let the tallest person go first.
So you're at the tail end of all these hikes???
(grins and awaits nasty punch)
Hey, I do the HJSWD just like everybody else does, but I tend to flower it with "YELLOW JACKETS" "FIRE ANTS" "LARVAE ARE EATING THEIR WAY THROUGH MY SKIN" or the lesser used "SIMON SAYS QUICKLY TOUCH YOUR NECK, SHOULDER, CHEST, HIP, FOREHEAD, CHIN, STOMACH, CHEEK, ELBOW, ANKLE, WRIST, NECK, ARM, NOSE, SHOULDER, NECK."
beautiful web! and yeah, it is creepy walking into one.
p.s. -- baby daughter just vacated her first year dorm room! she'll be home in a day or 2, depending on how fast dad drives the second leg of the round trip.
Niiiice!!! I've always had a booger of a time trying to focus on webs. Maybe the manual focus on this camera will do the trick. I always grab a long twig and wave it around in front of me when walking down the narrow path in the woods. Good job nobody can see me back there. Might think I'm pulling a Mary Hartman. 8-}
When I was in the 1st grade I'd catch wolf spiders, so dad made me a neat little screened box to put them in. One day I was waling between a hedge and a neighbors house went face first into a web looking point blank at a hugh garden spider. Scared the you know what out of me. So what did I do, ran back home and got a jar.
Bro J
Very pretty pictures! I like the way the light glitters on the web. And I like reading that there are at least some things outside that make you uncomfortable....after all the gators and poisonous snakes and all. lol
FC it is a good thing there are people like you who have spider habitats. When it comes to my yard, let's just say, I have no spiders. I let the snakes stay, does that count?
Those are gorgeous web photos. I really like the jewel box spider. I first saw one on a trip to Bermuda in the early 1980s. Clearing spider webs away from the path is one of the great unheralded uses for a butterfly net.
FC great pic, you need to take some old house fly or some other kind of insect and place it on the web. Then watch what ensues. That’s if you can stand still long enough with no wiggle or dance to enjoy the action. Love your blog’s. S T E B
Deb,
I hear ya. Those banana spiders are so big and the web is sooo strong!
Freste,
Well, yes mostly.
Kathy A,
Sweet! I know you can't wait to have her home.
We've noticed a distinct jump in the laundry loads since Emma has returned!
:)
Sophie,
Mary Hartman! Careful, you'll really date us.
Bro J,
Of all the things I caught and brought home as a boy, I can honestly say none of them were in the arachnid clan.
3C,
I'd rather be close to a gator, snake, or shark over a big unexpected spider any day.
Billy,
It's all about balance. The snakes need your help more than the spiders do.
:)
Doug,
Good point about the bug net. You don't always have a tall person around after all.
STEB,
Thanks. Yes I have done that before.
P.S. My little trip with a branch down to the fire pit after last nights storm made me think of something even worse than spider webs. "TICKS" I brought one back with me. That feeling lasts all day.
Bro J
Wow! I've never seen a web like that one. Very cool!
and now I have the heebie jeebies too.
You go first.
What a spectacular web. I've never seen one quite so perfectly made. Really beautiful.
Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web. from Mensas New Words for 2007.
My daughter (age 16) who is subject to these fits found this definition. She will probably expire from one of these some day!
Your post made us both laugh right out loud, watering eyes and all. Your description should be included in their definition!
Caroline in South Dakota
Slapping a spiny orbweaver is a good way to get a very painful perforation. Those spines are HARD.
Ahhh....FC I always feel like these type of post are just for me...after all you know how much I like them!
Lightnin
PS: Just got word Spc Dude is out of the big sand box called Kuwait on back in Germany! Thunder and I are both very excited about that!
Bro J,
Yes, ticks suck.
Laura,
We need someone really tall and nearsighted.
Robin,
The morning sun really put the dazzle in this web.
Caroline,
Spidey sense ... that's what we've got.
We sense them and we freak out.
Stacy,
I'm NOT touching them.
Lightnin,
Great news!
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