Cold weather spiders

[sonyalpha]

A very sharp frost last night and a bitterly cold wind this morning.........this first small/flat spider was hiding under a tile on a wall:



This small but rather round spider was hiding, well camouflaged underneath a piece of loose bark on a wooden surface:

Both shots two-frame stacks and cropped but not too much:

sonyalpha

[Harold Gough]

I suggest that the first one is the orb weaver Nuctena umbriatica. I don't really know what the other is, perhaps an agelenid.

Yes, it was very cold here this morning. My wife picked some fruit off our raspberry bushes that was frozen solid!

Harold

[LordV]

LOvely captures SA - esp like #2
( there is a bit of stacking border left at the top on #2)
Brian v.

[sonyalpha]

Thank you both...............for the positive comments and the ID......................In the second stack did realise that the stacking border was there but didn't want to crop any closer.......I imagined the complicated bark texture would camouflage it.........but it didn't get past your beady eyes Brian

I will take more care next time:

Actively lifting any old logs or tiles is becoming my way of finding Macro subjects as the days get colder and shorter..............I always replace them very quickly after shooting...............I know what it's like to have the duvet whipped off on a cold morning:

sonyalpha

[Harold Gough]

Actively lifting any old logs or tiles is becoming my way of finding Macro subjects as the days get colder and shorter..............I always replace them very quickly after shooting...............I know what it's like to have the duvet whipped off on a cold morning:

In warmer weather it is mainly a humidity issue, it is likely to be around 100% underneath, until uncovered, although you probably have a little more time before harm is done than with chilling.

A compost heap (kitchen waste/leaves/grass clippings) has lots of life in it. You may even find small toadstools.

Harold

[Ken Ramos]

That last little spider is pretty creepy, sort of reminds me of a black widow, with the exception of its color.

[gmazza]

These are nice looking spiders captured with good focus.

[sonyalpha]

The orb spider is quite a cute little fellow....not more than 3cm across:

Can anyone ID the second spider please?.......I can't believe the size of its mandibles.......they must be specialised....yes???

All two frame stacks with editing.........there may be a few stacking issues....but not too bad considering they were hand-held shots with no support handy:

Comments very welcome


sonyalpha

[Harold Gough]

Can anyone ID the second spider please?.......I can't believe the size of its mandibles.......they must be specialised....yes???

Those are male palps.

The new images suggest to me that it is a theridiid, perhaps a Steatoda or Theridion, possibly another genus.

Harold