Arachtober 2012

A collection of images from my postings during Arachtober 2012.

Arachtober is a group of macrophotographers on the photo sharing site Flickr who celebrate the month of Aractober (October) every year by uploading images of arachnids every day throughout the month. If you're not a fan of arachnids, this certainly is a Flickr group to avoid! Towards the end of the month as as Halloween approaches hundreds of images of these beautiful creatures will have been posted from the far flung corners of the earth.

These were my contributions to the group in 2012.

Arachtober 6th

Female wolf spider and egg sac.

Arachtober 7th (2012)

Arachtober 11th (2012)

Happy Arachtober everyone!

Arachtober 12th (2012)

Happy Arachtober everyone!

Arachtober 13th (2012)

Arachtober 14th (2012)

Araniella cucurbitina ~ The Cucumber Green Spider. Happy Arachtober everyone!

Arachtober 15th (2012)

Arachtober 18th (2012)

Happy Arachtober everyone!

Arachtober 28th (2012)

Possibly one of the UK's most unusual Opiliones, a female Dicranopalpus ramosus. Happy Arachtober everyone!

Arachtober 28th (2012)

Female Dicranopalpus ramosus. Happy Arachtober everyone!

Arachtober 28th (2012)

Female Dicranopalpus ramosus. Happy Arachtober everyone!

Arachtober 30th (2012)

Leiobunum blackwalli. Happy Arachtober everyone!

Arachtober 31st (e) (2012)

Happy Arachtober everyone!

Arachtober 31st (d) (2012)

Male Opilio parietinus. Happy Arachtober everyone!

Arachtober 17th (2012)

Happy Arachtober everyone!

Spiderling and Parasite

Arachtober 2nd (2012)

This sneaky little Salticus scenicus looks to be up to no good if you ask me. I watched her stalk around her territory for quite a while. A formidable hunter, although on this occasion, the hunt was unsuccessful. Happy Arachtober everone! Salticus scenicus, the Zebra or Jumping spider

~Dances With Wolves~

I am assuming these two Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae) where in the middle of a courtship ritual. I didnt want disturb them too much so snapped this one quickly and left them to it. Dare he approach? Happy Arachtober everone!

Arachtober 5th (2012)

I promised a contact I would upload a nice cute little spider this evening, so here is a cutest little red spider mite. Happy Arachtober everone

Arachtober 22nd (2012)

Happy Arachtober everyone!

Arachtober 24th (2012)

Happy Arachtober everyone!

Arachtober 3rd (2012)

Found this little beauty lurking in in a gap between fence posts at my local nature reserve. Not really sure on the species here, but its a feisty looking individual! Happy Arachtober everone!

Arachtober 16th (2012)

One from a series of shots from the archive today. I think the Opiliones (Harvestmen) have to be my all time favourite Order of insects. They really do look like something out of this world. This is Rilaena triangularis, a relatively large Opilione and one of the few to be found in spring. This particular specimen is a female who from the looks of things has just finished off a meal (note the small leg just infront). A shame I didnt happen by a few minutes earlier as this is a scene I have long wanted to catch. In this shot you can quite clearly see one of the diagnostic features of the species (Rilaena triangularis), that being the structure of the Pedipalp. Both the patella and tibia segments show a blunted outgrowth (apophysis) which is characteristic of the species, as marked on the image notes. Happy Arachtober everyone!