Saturday 28 July 2012
Saturday 23 June 2012
Friday 25 May 2012
Ant Spider
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| Sphodros rufipes |
I was wondering on the hillock near to my home and was very upset since i didn't get any good click on that day . I had decided that day to catch a good click and so i showed a lot of patience. I was standing like a mantis who waits for perfect time to catch pray. Though click was not that good, since i saw it first time i decided to upload click. I was amazed to see this spider who was jumping on the bark and was catching ants with very great Speed and Accuracy.
Wednesday 2 May 2012
Golden-Silver Colored Jumping Spider
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| Phintella vittata Banded Phintella Metallic Banded Jumping Spider |
PLOT :
I was waiting for my friend below his building and suddenly i observed some motion in the bush near to gate of his society. I went there with curiosity and my instinct was saying that there should be a Spider. And What a Surprise that i got this Amazing Banded Spider in those bushes. But unfortunately, there was no camera with me; so i called my friend to bring his camera.... and and i loosed concentration on that spider and he ran away somewhere and i was unable to get it again. So i left the place and came back after some 30 mins and I got it once again ! Then whatever i had done to get his pics i would call it as Gymnastic ! This spider was constantly jumping at every possible location but i got it finally ! Yes !
This jumping spider has shiny metallic bands and black bands over its chepalothorax and abdomen. The legs are semi transparrent in light green color. The metallic bands of this spider had been recognized enable to reflect UVB light and used by this spider in mating displays. The size of this spider is about 3mm.
Special Feature
Jumping spiders (Phintella vittata) can see ultraviolet B light, the first animals shown to have this capability.
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Section: Dionycha
Superfamily: Salticoidea
Family: Salticidae
Subfamily: Heliophaninae
Genus: Phintella
Species : P. vittata
Binomial name : Phintella vittata (C. L. Koch, 1846)
Source : 1)http://potokito-myshot.blogspot.in/2012/05/metallic-banded-jumping-spider.html 2)http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2008/05/01-02.html
Tuesday 13 March 2012
Funnel Web Spider
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| Hippasa Agelenoides Funnel Web Spider |
I was with my friend on the trek at Rajgad.. While returning to base i was was searching for webs since conditions were suitable for presence of spiders. I my instinct helped me once again to get this beauty hidden in the sand paths. Click him without wasting single minute.
Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae, from the Ancient Greek word "λύκος" meaning "wolf". They are robust and agile hunters with good eyesight. They live mostly solitary lives and hunt alone. Some are opportunistic hunters pouncing upon prey as they find it or even chasing it over short distances. Some will wait for passing prey in or near the mouth of a burrow.
Wolf spiders resemble Nursery web spiders (family Pisauridae), but they carry their egg sacs by attaching them to their spinnerets (Pisauridae carry their egg sacs with their chelicerae and pedipalps). Two of the Wolf spider's eight eyes are large and prominent, which distinguishes them from the Nursery web spiders whose eyes are all of approximately equal size.
There are many genera of wolf spider, ranging in body size from less than 1 to 30 millimetres (0.04 to 1.18 in). They have eight eyes arranged in three rows. The bottom row consists of four small eyes, the middle row has two very large eyes (which distinguishes them from the Pisauridae), and the top row has two medium-sized eyes. They depend on their excellent eyesight to hunt. They also possess an acute sense of touch.
Some members of the Lycosidae, such as H. carolinensis, make deep tubular burrows in which they lurk much of the time. Others, such as H. helluo, seek shelter under rocks and other shelters as nature may provide. They may wander from place to place, and are therefore more likely to be the ones attracted into human habitation when the weather starts to turn colder in autumn
Wolf spiders can be found in a wide range of habitats both coastal and inland. These include shrublands, woodland, wet coastal forest, alpine meadows, and suburban gardens. Spiderlings disperse aerially and consequently wolf spiders have wide distributions. Although some species have very specific microhabitat needs (such as stream-side gravel beds or montane herb-fields) most are wanderers without permanent homes. Some build burrows which can be opened or have a trapdoor. Arid zone species construct turrets or plug their holes with leaves and pebbles during the rainy season to protect themselves from flood waters.
Wolf spiders are capable of defensive bites, and some South American species may give bites that are medically significant. Nevertheless, the presence of wolf spiders generally works in favor of humans because they consume insects.Wolf spiders will inject venom freely if continually provoked. Symptoms of their venomous bite include swelling, mild pain and itching. Though usually considered harmless to humans, the bite of some species may be painful. In the past, necrotic bites have been attributed to some South American species, but further investigation has indicated that those problems that did occur were probably actually due to bites by members of other genera. Australian wolf spiders have also been associated with necrotic wounds, but careful study has likewise shown them not to produce such results.
Taxonomy
- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
- Branch: Protostomia
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Arachnomorpha
- Infraphylum: Cheliceriformes
- Superclass: Chelicerata
- Epiclass: Euchelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Subclass: Micrura
- Order: Araneae
- Suborder: Opisthothelae
- Infraorder: Araneomorphae
- Superfamily: Lycosoidea
- Family: Lycosidae
- Genus: Hippasa
- Specific name: agelenoides
- Scientific name: - Hippasa agelenoides
Source : 1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_spider 2)http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/H/Hippasa_agelenoides/
Friday 9 March 2012
Tree Trunk Spider
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Hersilia savignyi
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I like to click these guys. These are very calm and always give you enough time to prepare for click. I have clicked them lot of time with pray. If you maintain required minimum distance they will stuck at their position for hours.
The tree trunk spiders are members of the tropical and semi-tropical Family Hersiliidae. There are about 150 species in this family. These spiders have two very prominent spinnerets that are almost as long as their abdomen. So they are also sometimes known as "two-tailed spiders." They range in size from about 10 mm (0.4 inch) to 18 mm (0.7 inch) long. Being very well camouflaged for life on the varicolored trunks of trees, they have an interesting way of capturing prey. Rather than making a web that captures prey directly, they lay a light coating of threads over an area of tree bark and wait hidden in plain sight for an insect to stray onto that patch. Once that occurs, they direct their spinnerets toward their prey and circle it; all the while casting silk on it. When the hapless insect has been thoroughly immobilized, they can bite it through its new shroud.
Taxonomy
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Arachnida
Order : Araneae
Suborder : Araneomorphae
Family : Hersilidae
Genus : Hersilia
Species : H. savignyi
Sources : 1)http://www.richard-seaman.com/Arthropods/PhotoGalleries/Spiders/index.html 2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hersilia_savignyi 3)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_trunk_spider
Orb Weaver Spider
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| Argiope anasuja |
PLOT :
I remember that this was just a second time i was on the hillock with my handycam (1 MP :-P) and i was trying take his snap with macro setting and manual focus. Later on got many visits with this buddy.
I remember that this was just a second time i was on the hillock with my handycam (1 MP :-P) and i was trying take his snap with macro setting and manual focus. Later on got many visits with this buddy.
The "typical" orb-weaver spiders (family Araneidae) are
the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often
found in gardens, fields and forests. Their common name is taken from
the round shape of this typical web, and the taxon was formerly also
referred to as the Orbiculariae.
Orb-weavers have eight similar eyes, legs hairy or spiny and no stridulating
organs. The Araneidae family is cosmopolitan, including many well-known
large or brightly colored garden spiders. There are 3,006 species in 168 genera worldwide, making Araneidae the third largest family of spiders known (behind Salticidae and Linyphiidae). The orb-weavers include over 10,000 species and make up about 25% of spider diversity.
However, orb-webs are also produced by members of other families. The large "golden" orb-weavers (Nephilidae) and the long-jawed orb weavers (Tetragnathidae) were formerly included in the Araneidae; they are indeed closely related to them, being part of superfamily Araneoidea. Their webs are similar to those of the typical orb-weavers, but tend to be less sophisticated and often have an irregular instead of a neat spiral arrangement of the prey-capturing threads. The cribellate or hackled orb-weavers (Uloboridae) belong to a distinct superfamily of the suborder Araneomorphae; their webs are often very sophisticated but Uloboridae use neither poison to kill their prey, nor sticky threads in their web, and probably evolved the orb structure independently. Uloboridae are cribellate, and their threads can be recognized by the fuzzy and dull appearance, which captures prey by a velcro-like mechanism. Even among the Araneoidea, the orb-webs may have evolved at least twice from the three-dimensional webs most common in this superfamily, as typically produced e.g. by tangle-web spiders (Theridiidae).
Many orb-weavers build a new web each day. Generally, towards evening, the spider will consume the old web, rest for approximately an hour, then spin a new web in the same general location. Thus, the webs of orb-weavers are generally free of the accumulation of detritus common to other species such as black widow spiders.
Most arachnid webs are vertical and the spiders usually hang with their head downward. A few webs, such as those of orb-weaver in the genus Metepiera have the orb hidden within a tangled space of web. Some Metepiera are semi-social and live in communal webs. In Mexico such communal webs have been cut out of trees or bushes and used for living fly paper . The mature female of A. anasuja always rests at the centre of the orb with her head facing downwards. The orb has an opening at the centre and when disturbed she goes through the hole and exits on the other side of the plane of the web.
However, orb-webs are also produced by members of other families. The large "golden" orb-weavers (Nephilidae) and the long-jawed orb weavers (Tetragnathidae) were formerly included in the Araneidae; they are indeed closely related to them, being part of superfamily Araneoidea. Their webs are similar to those of the typical orb-weavers, but tend to be less sophisticated and often have an irregular instead of a neat spiral arrangement of the prey-capturing threads. The cribellate or hackled orb-weavers (Uloboridae) belong to a distinct superfamily of the suborder Araneomorphae; their webs are often very sophisticated but Uloboridae use neither poison to kill their prey, nor sticky threads in their web, and probably evolved the orb structure independently. Uloboridae are cribellate, and their threads can be recognized by the fuzzy and dull appearance, which captures prey by a velcro-like mechanism. Even among the Araneoidea, the orb-webs may have evolved at least twice from the three-dimensional webs most common in this superfamily, as typically produced e.g. by tangle-web spiders (Theridiidae).
Many orb-weavers build a new web each day. Generally, towards evening, the spider will consume the old web, rest for approximately an hour, then spin a new web in the same general location. Thus, the webs of orb-weavers are generally free of the accumulation of detritus common to other species such as black widow spiders.
Most arachnid webs are vertical and the spiders usually hang with their head downward. A few webs, such as those of orb-weaver in the genus Metepiera have the orb hidden within a tangled space of web. Some Metepiera are semi-social and live in communal webs. In Mexico such communal webs have been cut out of trees or bushes and used for living fly paper . The mature female of A. anasuja always rests at the centre of the orb with her head facing downwards. The orb has an opening at the centre and when disturbed she goes through the hole and exits on the other side of the plane of the web.
Taxonomy
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Family: | Araneidae |
| Genus: | Argiope |
| Species: | A. anasuja |
Synonym : Argiope plagiata
Source : 1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orb-weaver_spider 2)http://www.richard-seaman.com/Arthropods/PhotoGalleries/Spiders/index.html
Crown spider
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PLOT :
We were in search of Spiders and thus were wondering at every possible location. I was looking at one tree where i saw a small black spot hanging in air ! I went there and was amazed. I saw this beauty.
Jumping spider
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| Habronattus species |
PLOT :
According to me this location is nothing but an Insect Hub ! I have found so many insects till date at this location. On that day i had taken few wonderful snaps of grasshopper (with my handycam) and i was moving towards parking lot. And suddenly i got a movement on the wall and Yes ! it was a jumping spider and i think so this was the first incidence in my life that i got snap of jumping spider without any difficulties (it didn't jump anywhere). It was like waiting for me only ! And I done my job very well !
Molten spider exoskeleton
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PLOT :
Ohhh ! I remember that funny day. I was sitting in very horrible position with inclination of nearly 140 degree to get this snap. Aunty passing by asked my friend "What this boy is doing ? " and my friend replied " taking snaps of something " and /i answered loudly "Such a Beautiful spider". and can u guess what she would have commented on me ? she said " What a terrible days ! these days boys are doing the most maddest things that they can " !
Plot :
We group of almost 20 guys (most of met for first time !) were gathered @Pashan Lake, Pune to attend tutorial on Macro photography delivered by Yogendra Sir. After finishing the tutorial, we started exploring the field. This ws the first click i had taken that day !
Cellar Spider
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| Pholcus phalangioides |
My instinct was pointing towards a Stone formation (made to stop rain water) and when i checked the gaps in the stones i got this spider hiding beneath the stones !
The cellar spider or daddy longlegs (Pholcus phalangioides), also known as the skull spider due to its cephalothorax looking like a human skull, is a spider of the family Pholcidae. Females have a body length of about 9 mm; males are slightly smaller. Its legs are about 5 or 6 times the length of its body (reaching up to 7 cm of leg span in females). Its habit of living on the ceilings of rooms, caves, garages or cellars gives rise to one of its common names. They are considered beneficial in some parts of the world because they kill and eat other spiders, including species that are venomous to humans such as hobo and redback spiders.
This is the only spider species described by the Swiss entomologist Johann Kaspar Füssli who first recorded it for science in 1775. Confusion often arises over its common name, because "daddy longlegs" is also applied to two other unrelated arthropods: the harvestman and the crane fly .
Pholcus phalangioides has the habit of shaking its web violently when disturbed as a defence mechanism against predators. They can easily catch and eat other spiders (even those much larger than itself, such as Tegenaria duellica), mosquitoes and other insects, and woodlice. When food is scarce, they will prey on their own kind.
Because they originally came from the subtropics, these spiders do not appear to be influenced by seasonal changes and breed at any time of the year. The female holds the 20 to 30 eggs in her pedipalps. Spiderlings are transparent with short legs and change their skin about 5 or 6 times as they mature.
An urban legend states that Pholcidae are the most venomous spiders in the world, but this claim has been proven untrue. Recent research has shown that pholcid venom has a relatively weak effect on insects. In the MythBusters episode "Daddy Long-Legs" it was shown that the spider's fangs (0.25 mm) could penetrate human skin (0.1 mm) but that only a very mild burning feeling was felt for a few seconds.
Taxonomy
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Arachnida
Order : Araneae
Suborder : Araneomorphae
Family : Pholcidae
Genus : Pholcus
B Name : Pholcus phalangioides
Source : 1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholcus_phalangioides
Jumping Spider
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| Type : Jumping spider Location : Dahanukar colony, Karve Road, Pune city, Maharashtra, India |
Green Lynx Spider
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Peucetia viridanaLocation : Mhatoba HillcokPune city, Maharashtra, India |
Gravid females are able to change their color to fit their background. This takes about 16 days.The female constructs one to four 2-centimeter (0.8 in) egg sacs in September and October, each containing 25 to 600 bright orange eggs, which she guards, usually hanging upside down from a sac and attacking everything that comes near. The eggs hatch after about two weeks, and after another two weeks fully functional spiderlings emerge from the sac. They pass through eight instars to reach maturity. This non venomous spider is usually found on foliage
Taxonomy
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Arachnida
Order : Aranaeae
Family : Oxyopidae
Genus : Peucetia
Species : P.viridana
Sources : 1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peucetia_viridana 2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peucetia_viridans 3)http://www.richard-seaman.com/Arthropods/PhotoGalleries/Spiders/index.html
Lynx Spider
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| Oxyopes salticus Location : Mhatoba Hillcok Pune city, Maharashtra,
India
Lynx spiders are the members of the family Oxyopidae. They
all are hunting spiders that spend their lives on plants, flowers and
shrubs. At least one species has been identified as exhibiting social
behaviour.
There are several genera and they tend to differ in their habits and adaptations. For example most Oxyopes and Hamataliwa
species are small to medium in size; they tend to be drab and
especially the latter tend to be ambush hunters in ways resembling the
crab spiders (Thomisidae). Some occupy flowers and wait for pollinating insects, whereas others lie in wait on plant stalks or bark. The Peucetia
species on the other hand, commonly are larger, vivid green, and rangy;
they are active runners and leapers. Oxyopidae in general rely on keen
eyesight in stalking, chasing, or ambushing prey, and also in avoiding
enemies. Six of their eight eyes are arranged in a hexagon-like pattern,
a characteristic that identifies them as members of the family Oxyopidae. The other two eyes are smaller and generally situated in front and below the other six.
The Oxyopidae also have spiny legs, and in many species those
legs, augmented by the spines, seem to be used as a sort of
catching-basket in trapping flying insects.
Some members of the genus Oxyopes are abundant enough to be
important in agricultural systems as biological control agents. This is
especially true of the striped lynx spider (Oxyopes salticus).A member of the genus Tapinillus is remarkable as being one of the few social spiders, living in colonies.
The male performs a dance before the female using it legs, abdomen and especially his palps.
The female spider spins a cocoon that she attaches to a plant. She will guard the eggs until they hatch.
Taxonomy
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Arachnida
Order : Araneae
Superfamily :Lycosoidea
Family : Oxopoidae
B Name : Oxyopes salticus
Source : 1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynx_spider 2)http://ednieuw.home.xs4all.nl/australian/oxyopidae/oxyopidae.html 3)http://www.richard-seaman.com/Travel/Philippines/Wildlife/PhilippinesLynxSpider.jpg
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Orb Web Spider
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| Zygiella x-notata |
Araneus was originally called Epeira. The latter name is now considered a junior synonym of Araneus.It was first coined by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1805, for a range of spiders now considered Araneidae (orb-weavers). Over time, a rather diverse set of spiders was grouped under the genus Epeira, including species from the modern families Araneidae, Mimetidae (Mimetus syllepsicus described by Hentz, 1832), Nephilidae, Tetragnathidae, Theridiidae, Theridiosomatidae (Theridiosoma gemmosum, described by L. Koch, 1877 as Theridion gemmosum), Titanoecidae (Nurscia albomaculata, described by Lucas, 1846 as Epeira albo-maculata) and Uloboridae (Uloborus glomosus, described by Walckenaer, 1842 as Epeira glomosus). Epeira cylindrica O. P-Cambridge, 1889 was at a time placed in Linyphiidae and is considered incertae sedis, as is "Araneus" cylindriformis
The short documentary "Epeira diadema" (1952) by Italian director Alberto Ancilotto was nominated for an Oscar in 1953. It is about the spider today known as Araneus diadematus.
Araneus spiders possess various venoms, but will deliver a dry bite on 8 of 10 occasions. Females bite more often than males, who would rather flee or feign death.
Z. x-notata females are up to 11mm in size, males up to 7mm. The prosoma is yellow-brown, with a leaf-like mark on the opisthosoma. In moderate climate, adults appear from July to October, sometimes even into December. In warmer regions, they are active all year.
This spider builds its web mostly into window frames, but can also be found on walls, fences, or under the bark of old trees. It is very common around boats and docks throughout the world.
Adult spiders build an orb-web with two sectors without connecting threads in one of the two upper corners. The signalling thread in the middle of these sectors leads to the spider's hideout. In the evening and at night, however, the spider sits in the center of the web. It renews the web in the morning hours.
A normal web consists of about 25 to 30 radial threads. Young spiders, and sometimes adults, build webs without the free sectors, especially if the angle between signalling thread and radii gets too big.
Special Feature
Catching prey is instinctive in Zygiella in which it differs from other Araneidae, who have to learn this behavior. When alerted by movements of caught prey, the spider moves along the signalling thread into the web center, to orient itself. The killed and wrapped prey is moved to the hideout.
Taxonomy
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Arachnida
Order : Araneae
Family : Araneidae
Genus : Zygiella
Species : Zygeilla x-notata
Source : 1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araneus 2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zygiella_x-notata 3)http://www.richard-seaman.com/Arthropods/PhotoGalleries/Spiders/index.html 4)http://ednieuw.home.xs4all.nl/Spiders/Araneidae/Araneidae.htm 5)http://www.eurospiders.com/Zygiella_x-notata.htm
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