Spiders from who knows where
When I checked the snail mail today, I found a few snails but also this little red dude. I don’t know what species he/she is, but that’s some impressive striping. I spent a good 15 minutes trying to get a good photo, before realising I didn’t have a memory card in the camera. But I really wanted the shot so I went back and did it all again. Discovered the difference between the different metering modes while I was at it 🙂
Anyone know what kind of spider I have here?
I have a spider chart hanging next to the computer (!), and I can’t see anything similar(though the chart is drawings, not photos, it’s not a very good one!). The shape looks most similar to to a Redback, but obviously normally redbacks don’t have yellow…. Actually, even the red stripe looks like the red stripe of a redback. So it’s just the yellow that is odd…
I’m a little disturbed by your spider chart Simone, but thanks for the info! Little dude did look a lot like a redback, apart from the colouring… the yellow is probably due to the bad light inside the box, the bits on his/her back are actually white…
AHhgggghghGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHH!
/me wonders if Australia Post will send a spider that is securely packaged to somewhere on St Georges Tce
Um, I think a courier would be better for the job
It’s a variety of garden orb weaving spider – have a look at a few pics:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=orb+weaving+spider&btnG=Search+Images
Like what Google has done with the images search – image specs hidden, revealed on rollover. Nice and clean!
Cool, I think Nathanael is right – here’s a fact sheet:
http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/orb_weaving_spiders.htm
Apparently they are “reluctant to bite” and not terribly poisonous.
I dunno what he’s doing in our letterbox though.
yes that is what it is – a redback is completely black – just watched Charlotte’s web at Burswood last weekend so spiders are currently ‘in’ in our household!
Sorry guys, it’s not a Garden Orb Weaving Spider.
The spider is in fact a Red back spider, juvenile, female, and has just moulted. (Thanks to the Pest and Disease Information Service @ Dept. of Agric for a quick answer).
Kay, probably a good idea to get a heavy dose of bug spray on that before a letter gets sent to you.
Spiders are currently ‘in’ in our house too – must be the bad weather last week; killed a dozen white tails over a couple of days … ugh
Good one Mattman… now I have to get rid of her, redbacks near the house are not good 🙁
generally redbacks will not bite unless provoked, I guess sticking you hand into get the snail mail out can be considered as provocation!
We had a wasps nest in our letter box and the postie left us a note saying that he will throw the mail on the driveway if we don’t clear the letter box.
I was just telling Mattman yesterday we have spiders and wasps everywhere, we have just learnt to co-habit!
Before you whack it with bug spray – how about trying a brush and pan and throwing it over the fence into the neighbours property?
Ha, glad that’s sorted out! I did think Orb weaving spider for a minute too, but it’s shape was quite different.
The spider chart is really Pascal’s, it should be next to his computer, ha ha!
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