Spider Fangs

[NikonUser]

Ventral view of a pair of chelicerae showing the terminal fangs and the crushing teeth.
The fangs have an internal canal through which the spider passes venom, the exit hole can be seen as a pale spot just before the tip of each fang.
The two rows of prey-crushing teeth on each chelicera are offset. Between each row is a groove into which fits a fang. I can image that as the fang closes bits of crushed prey are squeezed out between the gaps in the teeth. If the teeth were opposite each other there would be no room for prey bits-and-pieces to be squeezed out.
The teeth appear to have a complex shape, maybe a pyramid or perhaps 3-sided.
I'm glad these things don't hunt humans, or cats and dogs.

20x ELWD Nikon M Plan on bellows at about 15x magnification, Flash, stryrofoam diffuser, ZS PMax. D600.
Image is intentionally overexposed to show teeth details; at a decent exposure the fangs and particularly the teeth come out black and featureless.



_________________
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.

Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives

[dissent]

Excellent photo. Makes me very glad I am not a potential prey item.
_________________
- Ian

"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't." - Mark Twain

[Charles Krebs]

Excellent. Nicely done!
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http://www.krebsmicro.com

[snic320]

Very good idea!, nicely done!
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http://www.nicolasreusens.com/

[cappo]

Amazing photo.

[NikonUser]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.
I isolated a fang and photographed it on my BHS. 62.5x on sensor. DIC.
Note the 2 rows of peg-like 'teeth' bordering a groove at the base of the fang.
The tip is grooved on the outer surface, and the venon opening can be seen.


_________________
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.

Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives

[spongepuppy]

Spectacular. Any idea what sort of spider these are from?
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---
Matt Inman

[Rollin]

Impressive, both the subject and the picture!

[Ecooper]

Utterly spectacular! What species are they from?

[NikonUser]

Thanks guys.
Spider ID seems more difficult than insect ID; I'm just starting. Found a great book:
http://www.amazon.ca/Spiders-North-America-Identification-Manual/dp/0977143902/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355834274&sr=1-2

and the best I can come up with for an ID is a Nursery Web Spider Family: Pisauridae, maybe a Pisaurina sp.
_________________
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.

Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives

[DQE]

I am unable to see any of the photos linked in this thread. I then turned off most of the things that might have suddenly begun interfering with the forum, but as I expected this had no effect.

Am I the only one who can't see the photos in this thread??? I can see all the photos in other threads on this forum.
_________________
-Phil

"Diffraction never sleeps"

[rjlittlefield]

[DQE]

[rjlittlefield]

[andre reichmann]

very nice stuff.