Another spider

Argusray · Post by **Argusray** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 9:29 pm

Hi all:

Each time I tried to shoot this guy head-on he would scuttle around and show me his back side. The best we could negotiate was a sort of profile. Any idea of what kind of critter he/she is?

Canon 40D, 100 mm macro, ISO = 200, f/4.5, 1/500

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 10:23 pm

Nice picture! This looks like one of the jumping spiders.

They have huge eyes in front. The eyes usually appear as shiny black, reflecting only the photo lights or the sun. The eyes of this one appear to have horizontal stripes. But I think that's because you've caught this one in an unusual position and in an environment where the eyes are reflecting something with horizontal stripes off to the right. Does that make sense, or is something else going on?

By the way, the eyes of jumping spiders are extraordinarily sophisticated. See other photos and discussion here.

--Rik

Argusray · Post by **Argusray** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 10:54 pm

rjlittlefield wrote:Nice picture! This looks like one of the jumping spiders.

They have huge eyes in front. The eyes usually appear as shiny black, reflecting only the photo lights or the sun. The eyes of this one appear to have horizontal stripes. But I think that's because you've caught this one in an unusual position and in an environment where the eyes are reflecting something with horizontal stripes off to the right. Does that make sense, or is something else going on?

By the way, the eyes of jumping spiders are extraordinarily sophisticated. See other photos and discussion here.

--Rik

Thanks for the informaiton. I wondered if it was a jumper.

Argusray

augusthouse · Post by **augusthouse** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 2:08 am

Is that the sky and horizon in two of his eyes?

Looks to me like he was watching the sky and whilst trying to take a head-on you may have interupted his view.

Also looks like he has been weaving a 'welcome' mat.

Craig

salden · Post by **salden** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 2:23 am

Interesting about the eyes. I seen a jumper, but he had almost neon green eyes. He was in the bush and I wondered if that was a refection from the leaves or some sort of mating thing since it is that time of year.

Jumpers are interesting spiders. They do turn in all directions, but when they do look right at you...they are probably getting ready to jump on you.

Argusray · Post by **Argusray** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 2:38 am

augusthouse wrote:Is that the sky and horizon in two of his eyes?

Looks to me like he was watching the sky and whilst trying to take a head-on you may have interupted his view.

Also looks like he has been weaving a 'welcome' mat.

Craig

He's on a plant that I believe is called a "Queen Anns Lace" next to a road on the coast. He would roate between this view and having his back turned towards me. I guess I just didn't appeal to him.

Argusray

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 4:16 am

Sue commented:

...but when they do look right at you...they are probably getting ready to jump on you.

Had to bring that up, didn't you.

Usually they scurry away from me before I can get a shot but that is not unusual, most things do.

Profiles are sometimes better than none. Nice

Jay Barnes · Post by **Jay Barnes** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:59 am

Nice shot of what appears to be a Phidippus johnsoni.

BTW, the second spider in the link provided by Rik is actually a wolf spider, family Lycosidae.

Sue, I wonder if the jumper you saw was a Lyssomanes viridis, like this one.

salden · Post by **salden** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:56 pm

Jay Barnes wrote:Nice shot of what appears to be a Phidippus johnsoni.

BTW, the second spider in the link provided by Rik is actually a wolf spider, family Lycosidae.

Sue, I wonder if the jumper you saw was a Lyssomanes viridis, like this one.

no, it look like this one posted, only the eye color was different

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:46 pm

Jay Barnes wrote:BTW, the second spider in the link provided by Rik is actually a wolf spider, family Lycosidae.

Good catch! I had never noticed that one. Many thanks!

--Rik