Orb-weaving spider, up close and personal

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 11:32 pm

This spider was brought to me in a glass jar by one of my co-workers, who knows I have an interest in such things. (OK, it was the same person who brought me the Worm with spider.)

I know nothing about this beast, except that it appears to be an orb weaver, possibly of genus Araneus. Body width about 11 mm.

--Rik

Technical: Canon 300D, Olympus 80mm bellows macro lens. Image #1, marked f/16. Image #2, marked f/5.6, with added 170mm Olympus auxiliary lens, stacked by Helicon Focus from 34 images, 0.005" focus step. The subject is live and unconstrained (just passive by nature). The setup for shooting the face is illustrated in the Technique forum, here.

JoanYoung · Post by **JoanYoung** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:52 am

These are astounding pictures Rik.

I hope your wife is used to all these things you bring home??

I wish I could find some decent spiders here.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 1:34 pm

Thanks, Joan! I like these in-your-face deep stacks, but it's a rare treat when I can get a live subject to hold still for one of them.

I don't often run into this kind of spider either. Guess I'm just lucky to have co-workers who look out for me -- and a wife who puts up with my stuff not only spread around the house, but cluttering up the refrigerator too!

--Rik

JoanYoung · Post by **JoanYoung** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:53 pm

A very lucky man you are Rik!! Most wives would run away screaming if their husbands brought back such specimens let alone put them in the refrigerator!!