Bugging About Friday: Midnight Funnelweb

Tags

#Arachnid, #Funnel Web, #Spider, #Venomous, Art, Photography

So this week I was walking through the woods late at night, when I noticed something hidden within the branches of a tree. Examining it, I noticed a sight I hadn’t seen before: A funnel web! She was sitting just on the outside of the burrow, waiting for anything dumb enough to pass by her. One of the most dangerous spiders in Australia, I was immediately excited and started plotting how to get a photograph. Thankfully, because she made her nest in the arch of a tree, it wasn’t that hard to get right up to it without disturbing the spider.

Unfortunately, a last minute problem with my phone meant I couldn’t get the photo that night but the next night I went back. Finally, I was overjoyed with success:

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Bugging About Friday: The Amazing Water Spider

Tags

#Predator, #Spider, #Water, Photography

Spiders are among some of the most amazing, adaptable and versatile predators on earth. It might not seem like they could be masters of hunting on the water, but one group in particular has mastered this very difficult habitat. Water Spiders, as the name suggests, can hunt creatures both on and underneath the water. Unfortunately, while I have always been excited to see one of these spiders for myself they are extremely elusive. One night, while walking at a creek nearby where I live, I heard an unusual pitter pattering sound. Upon checking it, I saw this incredibly spectacular spider pouncing of into the water below a footbridge!