Dee At 8 A.M.: Arachnids

Showing posts with label Arachnids. Show all posts

Friday, August 21, 2026

August 21, 2026

I am a female Yellow Garden Spider

Males don't get anywhere close to this big

I'm large and bulky like a might old oak

My mate's just a skinny little twig.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park

Sources: https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Argiope_aurantia/

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Wednesday, August 19, 2026

August 19, 2026

I am a Desert Blonde Tarantula

My mating process is a little strange.

The male weaves and then fills a purse with sperm

Then the female carries it till she's ready to lay eggs

She then fertilizes the eggs herself

Using the sperm purse in which the eggs bathe.

(I guess that's cheaper than buying her a Louis Vuitton bag, but considering that she will lay up to 1000 eggs, spiderling support must be outrageously expensive!)

Thanks to special guest photographer and my sweetheart, David Simpson.

Location: Arivaca Cienega Nature Trail, Arivaca, AZ

Sources: https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Aphonopelma_chalcodes/

Monday, July 20, 2026

July 20, 2026

I am a Florida Garden Spider

I'm like the Yellow Garden Spider except -

My butt looks like a crown

It has gold and it's round

But at building webs, we are both quite adept.

Location: Seabranch Preserve State Park, Stuart

Sources: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/127353-Argiope-florida

Thursday, July 2, 2026

July 2, 2026

I am known as an Eastern Parson Spider,

Because the mark on my abdomen looks like

A cravat worn by 19th century parsons

But unlike them, I don't give spiritual advice.

Location: Private residence, Warne, NC

Sources: https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/2041

Monday, June 8, 2026

June 8, 2026

I am in the family of Wolf spiders

Possibly a Shiny Wolf

I hide on the ground

While skulking around

Looking for insects to eat till I'm full.

(This was kind of a tough one for ID as I was far from home and not familiar with the spiders. Would have been nice if a scientist wandered by with a microscope so I could get a better ID!)

Location: Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Oak Harbor, OH

Sources: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/153809-Pardosa-moesta#articles-tab

Common Spiders of North America by Richard A. Bradley

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

May 20, 2026

I am a Rabid Wolf Spider

I'm harmless to humans but not to other bugs

I'm known as a "sit and wait predator"

Where sit and.. AAUUUUUUUUUGGGgggggg...

(Note: This spider and I were having a nice little chat and unfortunately I distracted her and this jerk wasp came by and nailed her. I realize everyone has to eat but I still felt bad for my inadvertent involvement. The wasp carried the spider off; I lost track of them but I assume she had young somewhere and was taking the spider home to them for dinner.)

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park

Sources: https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rabidosa_rabida/

Sunday, April 26, 2026

April 26, 2026

I'm a male Common Hentz Jumping Spider

And much to Dee's surprise

If you click to enlarge this photo

You will see all 8 of my eyes!

(This is a teeny tiny spider [only 4-5 mm, or about .157 inches] - I was surprised my camera picked up all of his eyes.)

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park

Sources: https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/6792

Thursday, April 23, 2026

April 23, 2026

I am known as a Marbled Orbweaver

So named for my abdomen pattern

I'm more oval shaped than other orbweavers

If I wore a belt I would look like Saturn

Thanks to very special guest photographer, Heather Stapleton.

Location: Private residence, Vero Beach

Sources: https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Araneus_marmoreus/

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

January 21, 2026

I am a Golden Silk Spider

Shown are my top and underside

You can see my spinnerette

From where I spin my net

That I use to catch the food on which I rely.

(Note: In the second picture, the spinnerette is what kind of looks like a belly button.)

Location: St. Sebastian River Buffer Preserve State Park

Sources: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN467

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

January 20, 2026

I am a Red-femured Spotted Orbweaver

In the summer I take down my web for the day

But it's colder now,

There's not as much food around

So I leave my web up to catch prey.

Location: St. Sebastian River Buffer Preserve State Park

Sources: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN569

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

September 30, 2025

I'm known as a Red-femured Spotted Orbweaver

Part of my leg is red, but not all

I am widespread throughout the United States

But in the south I'm larger, like an 8 legged golf ball.

(Well, perhaps she wasn't as big as a golf ball, but this was one of the largest ones I've seen.)

Location: John C. Campbell Folk School, NC

Sources: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN569

Monday, September 29, 2025

September 29, 2025

I am known as a Lined Orbweaver

Notice the black lines on my first and second legs

My scientific names means "hunch-backed"

You can find me in fields and at the forest edge.

Location: John C. Campbell Folk School, NC

Sources: https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/arachnid/view.php?sort_order_num=82.00

Sunday, September 28, 2025

September 28, 2025

I am called Black-tailed Red Sheetweaver

But the black is a caudal tubercle, not a tail

It is where you would expect a tail to be

But when I try to wag it, it's just a twerk fail.

Location: John C. Campbell Folk School

Sources: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/153676-Florinda-coccinea

Monday, September 15, 2025

September 15, 2025

I am a spider in the family Selenopidae

We are also known as "flatties"

I was hiding the crown of a pineapple

And wouldn't come out, which drove Dee batty!

(They are called "flatties" because they can fit in very tight places, including the base of the pineapple crown. It took me about 10 minutes after I picked the pineapple to coax her safely off the pineapple and onto another plant where she would be much happier than in my kitchen.)

Location: Fellsmere, FL, My House

Sources: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/fruits/pineapple

https://bugeric.blogspot.com/2013/03/spider-sunday-flatties.html

Saturday, September 13, 2025

September 13, 2025

This is a Gray Wall Jumping Spider

She has 8 eyes, I am jealous of her

If I had 8 eyes -

To no one's surprise

They would all be for David, no other.

If you see my sweetheart today, wish him a happy birthday!

Location: Lake Butler, FL

Sources: https://bugguide.net/node/view/27204

Thursday, September 4, 2025

September 4, 2025

I am some type of a Desert shrub Spider

I'm in the Genus Diguetia and have 6 eyes

I keep my prey in a tent like web

And I stridulate to impress spider guys.

Location: Saguaro National Park, AZ

Sources: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/249285-Diguetia

Thursday, January 9, 2025

January 9, 2025

I might be a Yellow Ghost Spider

My location and shape are correct

My palps are dark red

I've got some lines on my head

But so do many other spiders, with all due respect!

Location: Dee's car, Fellsmere Trailhead Preserve

Sources: https://www.wikihow.com/Identify-Spiders

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

December 31, 202

I'm an Okefenokee Fishing Spider

I like to hang out in the swamp

I can watch myself while I am eating*

Insects and critters, I go chomp chomp!

(*How many 80s kids are singing the English Beat song right now? It was the first thing I thought of when I saw this spider, but I'm weird that way.)

Location: Forever Florida, Kenansville

Sources: https://bugguide.net/node/view/40024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3PwyGIZxX8

Thursday, December 26, 2024

December 26, 2024

I am Green Lynx Spider

Notice the chevron like markings on my back

I'm bigger and fancier than the Lesser Green Lynx

But she's a good spider too, there's nothing she lacks.

(Shout out to Chelsea who says the "lesser" species should be renamed "They try really hard".)

Location: Hugh Ramsey Nature Park, Harlingen, TX

Sources: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/beneficial/green_lynx_spider.htm

https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/2024/12/december-22-2024.html

Wednesday, December 25, 2024

December 25, 2024

I am a Texas Tan Tarantula

Santaratula is my (St.) nick name

I deliver tasty bugs to the good spiders

The naughty list gets candy canes.

(Spiders allegedly dislike the smell of peppermint and it can be used to deter them from coming in your yard. Although why anyone would not want a spider in their yard is beyond me.)

Location: Harlingen Convention Center, Harlingen, TX

Sources: https://www.thespruce.com/plants-that-repel-spiders-5210893