Summer spiders

Well, it's been an interesting few weeks for the topic of arachnids. 

Massive orb-weavers in people's gardens, spiders that build their own 'waxworks' and even Michael Jackson's untimely death and its flood of new stories gets a mention here.

Seems the king of pop may have used the cover story of a spider bite after he turned up late to a hearing as part of his child abuse trial in 2002. According to some reports, he had been injecting heroin and a needle had broken off in his leg. Ewww. Poor, misguided, mess of a guy! But spiders as an excuse? That's BAD!

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

It's an unusual British summer. Perhaps mainly because it has been sunny, but also because there has been a massive influx of larger spiders indoors. Our bigger arachnids tend to scurry into our houses from September onwards - usually to look for a mate.

Temperatures of +30c over past weeks have tempted some of our more fearsome spiders indoors to cool off. I've seen a plethora of tegenaria species in my house (usually seen indoors in autumn). My sister and her husband have spoken of an elongated spider they have been seeing around their house recently, and I wonder if it is maybe the woodlouse spider. I include a photo of the woodlouse spider for identification purposes in case anyone else spots it. Handle carefully though. It has a nasty nip.

Anyway, I'll sign off here with the Rory Bremner of the spider world. An arachnid that seemingly builds a double of itself in its web from detritus. 

Well, if I had eight arms I'd do the same. Wouldn't you?

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Photo. Woodlouse Spider. (C) Encyclopedia Brittanica 

'It can give a nip'

The wonderful (and so say I) BBC current affairs programme 'The One Show' has been a treat this week.

Dr George McGavin has been on hand with his UK spring insect VTs.

He's also been there for the viewers too, sending in their snaps of critters nationwide, wanting analysis. I'd like to say I was an expert of his esteem, but I could personally only identify two of the 'critter pics' sent in by the public. 

The wasp beetle and the much-under-rated and hidden bitey bugger, the woodlouse spider. [RIGHT: Photo courtesy of wildaboutbritain.co.uk].

 

Dr McGavin didn't leave out the fact that the desdera crocata genus can give a 'nip'. Fangs for that George!

Although, he did examine booklice in a woman's kitchen cupboard. I was always lead to believe that booklice are pseudoscorpians [little scorpion-like arachnids with pincers, but no stinger] - saw enough of them when I recently tidied out my own cupboard. [Picture of booklouse/pseudoscorpian included (courtesy augsburg.edu].

Dr George McGavin, by the way, has a website, with fascinating videos. He lectures at Oxford Uni and is also Professor of entymology at the University of Derby.

Read all about him and watch videos here   George McGavin

No fighting in here lads (or ladies!)

Seems these days the eight-legged amongst us come looking for me, rather than the other way around. Spiders can't log on to arachipedia, .... can they?.....

No sooner had I snapped the long-jawed orb-weaver and uploaded it, I had barely packed away my camera before I made a quick visit to the loo, and in a very grimy and dusty corner of my shower area two spiders were dueling. 

I rushed to grab my cam, thinking this was some mating ritual between one species. However, it was, in fact, one very fat, fearsome-looking female mouse spider [Herpyllus Blackwalli] encroaching onto the territory of a smaller (male I think) tegenaria spider. 

I actually think it's a juvenile Gigantia or Duellica. I can't quite see its markings properly, but can't be sure what else it would be in the house at this time of year. I don't think it's an agrestis (markings are probably wrong). At least I hope it isn't an agrestis anyway. [Hobo spider in the states].

I knew the mouse spider was in the bathroom. I'd seen her a few times before and even warned my mum she was in there just a week ago!

I don't honestly know which would win in a fight, but the mouse spider ran away first. Nor do I know which is the most venomous (to each other), but I presume it must have been the mouse spider that was trespassing, as (to my knowledge) tegenaria spiders are funnel web spiders and mouse spiders generally don't build a web. 

I love spiders, but that pair (considering they are both biting species) might have to go, if I can find them, or if they manage to eat each other - whichever is the sooner!

Stay webwise folks!

Jaw blimey!

While having a nosey at bumblebees in my parents' garden, I snapped this long-jawed orb weaver, presumably on the prowl for afforementioned bees. Unfortunately, the photos aren't the best ever. The light and wind on the bush were playing havoc with the focus on the macro function of my camera. 

I have to admit, I hadn't seen this particular spider in the wild before, and although I definitely knew it was an orb weaver, I couldn't say which one. A member of the Tetragnathidae family, the long-jawed orb weaver is common in the UK, and worldwide. 

Like many orb-weaving spiders in Britain, it has been known to give a bit of a nip. It has lengthy chelicerae (fangs), hence the name 'long-jawed'. 

It is, fortunately to us, nowhere near as massive as the golden orb-weaver (featured elsewhere on this blog) which has been known to capture birds in Australia. 

In case you're wondering, both the long-jawed and golden orb-weavers are harmless to humans!

Hmmm... as I predicted.....

Some time ago (can be found a l-o-n-g way down this blog somewhere) I predicted the false widow spider [steatoda nobilis] would continue spreading north in the UK. Although not much of a prediction really, more of a statement of the bleedin' obvious!

VIEW ON VIDEO: Steatoda Nobilis (BBC 2008)

Well, apparently (according to 'the press') the spider is, now, heading northwards! Although, I suspect this eternal story is a staple favourite of journos in the usual summer copy drought, or 'silly season'. I think I've read the headline 'Dangerous spider spreads across the UK' every summer since I first took an interest in the eight-legged beasts!

But still, it's fact I guess, and definately worth a mention on Arachnipedia.  

So, here's the link      http://current.com/items/90069751_venomous-spider-spreading-breeds-in-britain.htm 

A Mediterranean species of arachnid, introduced to the UK in the 1800s, through fruit carriage, the false widow is similar to, and related to the notorious Latrodectus family (black widow), found in America and some southern parts of Europe, and the potentially deadly Australian redback. 

The spider [steotoda) has had somewhat of a stronghold in some south western and south eastern areas of the UK for decades. It has been noted in Dorset since the 1980s and has been reported as a biter with nasty symptoms, including arythmia, swelling and flu-like illness. 

Generally, its bite should be no more frightening or painful than a bad bee or wasp sting. But people can react differently. 

It is also true that its tropical cousins the black widow and Ozzie redback have very dangerous bites, but should be noted that fatalities from these bites are incredibly rare, with the last redback fatality back in the 1950s - and it was a young child which sadly died. 

So, on that basis, just remember that the false widow has venom nowhere near as powerful as its tropical counterparts. 

As I always say though, don't push it, all spiders have venom, most will try to bite if trapped, and some will nip. So, best really to leave them alone and not handle them.

Stay webwise folks. Gav xx 

Photo: Copyright National History Museum 2009. [Steotoda Nobilis].

Ladybird Spider

Just to show Libby (my sister) that they aren't all horrid (not that any of them are), this is the Ladybird spider (Eresus cinnaberinus). And it IS a British spider (one of the country's rarest in fact!).

BBC VIDEO OF LADYBIRD SPIDER

The reason I pinpointed this spider is that it is one of the longest living spiders - (you asked why the one in my window lived for two years!) The Ladybird spider can live for about five years. And also, it is, if a spider can be cuddly looking, perhaps one of the most attractive spiders in the world.
It is only found in certain areas of moorland in the UK. I believe it could be found on Thorne Moors at one time.
Thing is, folk don't often realise we have fancy spiders like this in the UK!

He's gone! :(

The little fella in my bathroom has officially buggered off/died. Perhaps this is a signal to get my flat in order. I have webs to put Steve Jobs and Bill Gates to shame! Six days without the bog spider - I guess he's dead!
But that is a tiny animal that has lived there for two years. Pretty amazing animal. I've watched him for two years. Crazy little critters if you ask me. Some people (my sister included) just squish them! Eughhhhh!
If I had to live in a window and eat flies, I'd find a morgue window frame! I just feel sorry for the poor little buggers inhabiting windows at Woolies! Windolene ain't quite as tasty as a bluebottle for them.
Mind you, there'll be some beauties at the MFI warehouse off the M18 at Doncaster come April.
Big up the eight-legged beasts!
Stay webwise folks.

xx Gav.

Spider intelligence?

Here's an interesting question. How intelligent is a spider?
Are they just irritating beasts?
Now, obviously, I KNOW they aren't. But I may have just recently conducted a fascinating experiment purely by accident.
About a year ago, perhaps even longer ago, a spider set up camp in my bathroom window. A humble little amaurobius similis.
I wasn't bothered by him/her. And so, this relationship continued for months. It just sat there on the window ledge every day. Regardless of whether I was using the loo, cleaning my teeth, or just having a shower. It was always in the same position. Never bothered it and it never bothered me.
Now, you can call me cruel, or maybe experimental, but about two weeks ago, a smallish tegenaria spider (domestica - too small to be duellica or gigantea) crawled across my sofa. I grabbed him in a beaker and popped him on the windowsill in my bathroom. The amaurobius similis did what I can only describe as packed his bags. At the point I dropped the larger spider, the little amaurobious tried to attack, backed off and disappeared. Then, for days, the tegenaria spider actually sat guarding the web I'd dropped it in, belonging, in fact to the amaurobius similis.
Then I felt very guilty. This little spider had been there for a year. I even had a holiday abroad and came back to see the little fella sat there.
Then, bizarrely, this week, the very same amaurobius similis started appearing around my flat. Obviously looking for warmth or food. Tonight I went to the windowsill, checked the web, found the tegenaria (yes, it was still there - thinking 'cheers mate, you gave me free food here when you dropped me here) removed it and put it outside.
I then found the amaurobius similis, caught it in my hand, left it on the bathroom wall, and, I HAVE to report, it has taken up its usual residence in the silk it laid in my bathroom window frame.

Spiders. They don't give them eight legs for nothing!
Stay webwise folks.

xx Gav.

I'm a spider get me out of here

It's that unfortunate, yet oddly addictive, time of year again when ITV's I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here nibbles away at our better judgement and suckers in audiences for sick-making scenes of 'slebs' chowing down on those poor, unfortunate arthropods.
Already, Joe Swash has eaten two yellow-tale scorpions. At least they were dead as he sunk in his teeth. Interestingly, I doubt they were Australian solifugae though - looked more like the common European variety, so not really true Oz bushtucker!
The new titles for the show/in-programme inserts have an occasional sting featuring the brilliant Netcasting Spider/Stick spider (Deinopis subrufa). Common in gardens right across that wonderful spiders' web of a continent, the deinopis is a completely harmless arachnid (to humans anyway) that grows very large and cleverly back-comes its silk. Being unlike the silk of most spiders, it has no adhesive property, hence, if the animal built a web with it, insects would land and then just hop off! 

Click here for video DEINOPIS SUBRUFA

Just for the hell of it, here's the titles for the current series of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

Click here for video IACGMOOH

Deinopis (species of which also inhabit parts of South America) has cunningly evolved to, as I say, back-come the silk to give it a spring-loaded effect. It builds a triangular blanket web between its four front legs and uses one of its back legs to hold the 'net' in place, with silk outstretched, using the elasticity it has created with the back-coming to make it taught, spotting prey and then literally launching and catching it in its net.
Like most true arachnids, deinopis subrufa has eight eyes. Despite this, the majority of spiders have relatively poor eyesight. However, Deinopis subrufa has evolved two of its eight eyes as MASSIVE eyes that mark the animal out among most other similar species. These eyes are reminiscent of the eyes of maybe a small mammal like a fieldmouse or bush baby. This spider has often been nicknamed the ogre-face because of its fearful face, hence the name 'Deinopis subrufa', which pretty much translates as fearful appearance, or face.
So, that's the wonderful netcasting spider of Australia - completely harmless to humans. Think of it as the stick insect of the spider kingdom.
I see that tomorrow's I'm A Celebrity ... features spiders, notably huntsmans, another massive, but harmless Ozzie critter. I swear, if I see one of those animals maimed in anyway, I will be writing to Ofcom and the RSPCA - forget Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross! Harm a spider and I mean war!

Stay webwise folks.

Gav XXX