Big mama

Ib Mathiasen · Post by **Ib Mathiasen** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:48 pm

A picture from this summer - Common "Araneus Diadematus" garden spider

The female is full of eggs, and the mating can begin

Picture below show the palps of the male - he has to place the palps in the "epigyne" of the femail - and that can be dangerous to the little male - but this time it goes pretty well

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 2:41 am

One of my favourite species of spider in the UK. A spider that I've regularly watched and photographed but have yet to see a male approach a female - so very well done - and excellent photos too - especially the extreme close up of the male.

Bruce

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 4:41 am

Gives me the creeps looking at them but these are some really good photographs and they have some great details.

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:07 am

Excellent job on these photos Ib

In the second one , the male is probably doing his mating dance for the female so she will not eat him

and look at the big pair of pedipalps that male has in the third picture

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:19 am

Great courage this little guy is showing.

Even knees doesn't tremble.

Ib Mathiasen · Post by **Ib Mathiasen** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:00 am

Thanks for comment – my experience tell me that there is great difference in temperament with the individual spider – and sometimes the male, make a mistake in he´s eagerness of mating – and it ends fatal for him

And other times the female plays ready for mating, but need in reality meal for her´s eggs to maturation – and the male walk unsuspecting in to her loving welcome