Golden Orb Weaver Spiders - Nephila sp.

    Russ Howarth very kindly sent me these photographs of two Golden
    Orb Weaver Spiders he observed in Koh Samui, Thailand.

    2010

    2009
    Russ has a great story of his observation to accompany these photographs:
   "..A web that spans streetlamps on either side of the road. One afternoon I
    spent a happy half-hour watching a tiny bird (Wingspan less than the spider's
    Legspan) hovering like a humming bird in front of these enormous webs,
    stealing a proportion of the spider's catch.
    There were between 1 and 3 webs stretched across each pair of lamposts
    for maybe 300 metres, the lamposts about 15 metres apart. Quite a colony
    I thought. The bird I tentatively identified as Arachnothera longirostra
    (Little Spider Hunter). I had assumed that it meant the bird ate spiders but
    this experience made me wonder if it hunted amongst spiders' webs.
    If Nephila sp. can capture birds it would explain the (anthropomorphism here)
    nervous way in which the bird took the prey from the web.
    As you may know smaller spiders build webs between the strands of
    Nephila sp.'s web. (that's how it looked to me) So maybe my little
    spider hunter was doing Nephila sp. a favour by removing smaller rivals".

Arachnids of South Corsica

    Murielle Leroy very kindly sent me these Photographs from her trip to
    Corsica in July, 2010
    Argiope lobata
    Family - Araneidae
    Genus - Argiope
    Male - 6mm / Female - upto 25mm
    Known as the Lobed Argiope.
    Quite a large Orb Weaving Spider found all over Africa and stretching
    to Southern Europe and into Asia.
    Distinctive zig-zag pattern/ ribboning (stabilimenta) emanating from the centre
    of the Orb Web, thought to be a disguise from predators by camouflaging the
    Spider or making it appear larger.
    A relative of the UK's Wasp Spider - Argiope bruennichi.

    Female.
    Murielle told me that her friend who is responsible for Species Recording
    at the Nature Reserve had never seen this Spider there before.
    "Le sentier des Bruzzi" : "The footpath of the Bruzzi"
    Réserve Naturelle des Bouches de Bonifacio
    South Corsica
    Photo's by Murielle Leroy
    July 2010
    ::::::::
    The European or Mediterranean Black Widow Spider - Malmignatte
    Latrodectus tredecimguttatus
    Family - Theridiidae
    Genus - Latrodectus 
    Identified by the distinctive 13 Spots on the Abdomen.
    The Species name is Latin for 'with 13 Spots'.
    Females have a painful bite but rarely fatal.

    Female Juvenile. All Black when Adult. 10-15mm (Females)
    Photograph by Candice Durand.
    The Spider was found in her young Son's shoe!
    Pianottoli-Caldarello Village
    South Corsica
    August 2010
    Here is an excerpt from The Life of The Spider by Jean Henri Fabre 1912,
    in which he writes of the Malmignatte:
    ' ..the Malmignatte, the terror of the Corsican peasantry. I have seen her
    settle in furrows, lay out her web and rush boldly at insects larger than
    herself; I have admired her garb of black velvet speckled with carmine red;
    above all, I have heard most disquieting stories told about her. Around Ajaccio
    and Bonifacio, her bite is reputed very dangerous, sometimes mortal. The
    countryman declares this for a fact and the doctor does not always dare deny
    it.'
    Murielle informs me that even though this was written 100 years ago, the
    locals still think this way.
    
    Origin of Malmignatte: It malmignatta, fr. mal, malo bad (fr. L malus) +
    mignatta leech.
    (Source - http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malmignatte)
    ::::::::

    This Crab Spider seems spoilt for choice, or outnumbered!
    Photographs by Candice Durand.
    Pianottoli-Caldarello
    South Corsica
    25.04.12

    Synaema globosum
    Family: Thomisidae
    Genus : Synaema
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    28.04.12
    Photographs and Id by Candice Durand.

    False Widow - Steatoda nobilis
    Family: Theridiidae
    Genus: Steatoda
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    29.04.12
    Photographs by Candice Durand.

    A Jumping Spider - Salticidae
    Heliophanus sp.
    Heliophanus lineiventris (?)
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    11.05.12
    Photograph by Candice Durand.

    Juvenile

    I think these Spiders are Clubiona sp.
    Family : Clubionidae

    Steatoda triangulata
    Family : Theridiidae
    Genus : Steatoda
    A member of the family known as False Widow Spiders. They are thought to
    have originated from Eurasia.

    Harvestman - Opiliones
    Relatives of Spiders   

    Holocnemus pluchei
    Family : Pholcidae

    Known as the Marbled Cellar Spider.

    I think a type of Money Spider - Linyphiidae.
    Impressive Palps on this Male!
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    17.05.12
    Photographs by Candice Durand.

    Drassodes sp.
    Gnaphosidae
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    19.05.12
    Photographs by Candice Durand. 

    Red Backed Jumping Spider
    Phidippus sp.
    Salticidae
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    25.05.12
    Photograph by Candice Durand.

    Juvenile Male Running Crab Spider
    Philodromus sp
    Philodromidae
    31.05.12

    Spiderlings - I don't know which Species.
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    03.06.12
    Photographs by Candice Durand.

    Male Labyrinth Spider
    Agelena labyrinthica
    Agelenidae
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    04.06.12
    Photographs by Jacquet Lorenzo (Aged 10 years).

    Jumping Spider - Salticidae
    Female 
    Philaeus chrysops (?)
    Candice tells me, the Spider jumped at her Lens and then shied away from
    her camera.
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    05.06.12
    Photographs by Candice Durand.

    A type of Orb Weaver.
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    14.06.12
    Photographs by Jacquet Lorenzo (Aged 10 years).

    I think this is Agaleneata redii
    Family : Araneidae
    Genus : Agaleneata
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    14.06.12
    Photographs by Jacquet Lorenzo (Aged 10 years).

    I think this is Hogna radiata
    Family: Lycosidae
    Genus : Hogna
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    15.06.12
    Photographs by Candice Durand.

    Holocnemus pluchei with Eggs
    Family : Pholcidae

    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    07.07.12
    Photographs by Candice Durand.

    I think this is Hogna radiata
    Family: Lycosidae
    Genus : Hogna

    Araneus diadematus
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    21.07.12
    Photographs by Candice Durand.

    I think this is Hogna radiata
    Family: Lycosidae
    Genus : Hogna
    Pianottoli
    South Corsica
    23.07.12
    Photographs by Candice Durand.

    Female carrying Spiderlings
    I think this is Hogna radiata
    Family: Lycosidae
    Genus : Hogna
    Photographs by Julien Girard
    Figari, South Corsica
    09.09.12

    Jumping Spider
    Salticidae
    Photographs by Lorenzo
    03.10.12

    Thomisus onustus
    Family : Thomisidae 
    Genus : Thomisus
    Photograph by Julien Girard
    Figari, South Corsica
    09.09.12

    Holocnemus pluchei
    Family : Pholcidae
    Known as the Marbled Cellar Spider.

    Agelena labyrinthica
    Family : Agelenidae
    Photo's by Candice Durand
    Pianottoli, South Corsica
    19.09.12