Look at her dimples! (II)
A while ago I blogged about a spider called the rabbit hutch spider. I think the blog was 'Look at her dimples', which came after a reader sent me a photo for identification.
In fact, the very last blog I wrote (below this one) is on a similar note.
The rabbit hutch spider (steatoda bipunctata) is widespread throughout the UK, but relatively uncommon, or perhaps un-noticed in the north. That said, it was species I was well aware of, along with its notorious, pack-a-punch venom cousin the Noble False Widow (steatoda nobilis).
Steatoda are a multi-species of spiders in a family called Theridiidae. The Theridiidae family includes potentially dangerous species like the American Black Widow, the Australian Redback and the New Zealand Katipo.
They are (to bracket them together) known as comb foot spiders - they back comb their silk to produce tangle webs. None of your common or garden symetric spider webs here thanks. Imagine pulling a cotton wool ball apart and draping the resulting strands around your living room. That's Theridiidae!
Anyway, that's all by the by.
My reason for being here tonight is that I just got a few vaguely useable shots of a steatoda bipunctata.
And, to be honest, as an amateur arachnologist, I'm pretty damn impressed with my skills of identification these days. I'm also impressed I managed to see it.
I'd gone to the loo. I didn't even have the lights on. In the dim light from the window, I saw a spider chowing down on a small fly. Seeing its bulbous body and the fact it wasn't in a web, I immediately thought, "right, I'm catching you".
All suspicions were confirmed. It's a female steatoda bipunctata. It's probably the first steatoda spider I've seen in the flesh.
To double check, working on what I knew of false widows, I rolled her over and she played dead. Revealing the giveaway Omega, or figure of eight pattern, synonymous with false widows.
I think I demonstrate this in the images above (see circular cut out). Unfortunately, I had to rely on my mobile phone for photos, as my camera battery is flat.
A while ago I blogged about a spider called the rabbit hutch spider. I think the blog was 'Look at her dimples', which came after a reader sent me a photo for identification.
In fact, the very last blog I wrote (below this one) is on a similar note.
The rabbit hutch spider (steatoda bipunctata) is widespread throughout the UK, but relatively uncommon, or perhaps un-noticed in the north. That said, it was species I was well aware of, along with its notorious, pack-a-punch venom cousin the Noble False Widow (steatoda nobilis).
Steatoda are a multi-species of spiders in a family called Theridiidae. The Theridiidae family includes potentially dangerous species like the American Black Widow, the Australian Redback and the New Zealand Katipo.
They are (to bracket them together) known as comb foot spiders - they back comb their silk to produce tangle webs. None of your common or garden symetric spider webs here thanks. Imagine pulling a cotton wool ball apart and draping the resulting strands around your living room. That's Theridiidae!
Anyway, that's all by the by.
My reason for being here tonight is that I just got a few vaguely useable shots of a steatoda bipunctata.
And, to be honest, as an amateur arachnologist, I'm pretty damn impressed with my skills of identification these days. I'm also impressed I managed to see it.
I'd gone to the loo. I didn't even have the lights on. In the dim light from the window, I saw a spider chowing down on a small fly. Seeing its bulbous body and the fact it wasn't in a web, I immediately thought, "right, I'm catching you".
All suspicions were confirmed. It's a female steatoda bipunctata. It's probably the first steatoda spider I've seen in the flesh.
To double check, working on what I knew of false widows, I rolled her over and she played dead. Revealing the giveaway Omega, or figure of eight pattern, synonymous with false widows.
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