Not a pretty picture. Some spiders are horrible housekeepers. At least this one is hiding her face in shame.
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| Who lurks in this tunnel? |
This was behind my stash of gardening tools. I have taken many photos: in a couple I thought I saw a hint of long legs down there in the dark. She's probably another giant house spider. It looks like she's been eating well.
But I have questions: those little ones: are they her brood? The main photo was taken 4 days ago; the babes were tiny. The inset was from this afternoon; there's a spider molt hanging below the growing youngster.
Both this larger one and the others have striped legs; the hoboes have striped legs, but their shape doesn't look hobo-ish. Are the stripy leggings junior wear?
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Esta no es una foto bonita. Algunas arañas son amas de casa muy descuidadas.
El túnel está escondida tras mis herramientas de jardín, las palas y el rastrillo. Le he sacado muchas fotos, y en algunas creo que se pueden ver unas patas largas en la oscuridad. Probablemente la dueña de casa sea otra araña casera gigante. Y parece que le ha ido bien con lo de la comida.
Pero se me ocurren unas preguntas. Esas arañitas; serán sus crías? La foto principal es de hace cuatro dias, y las arañitas estaban muy chicas. El cuadro tiene una foto de esta tarde, con una araña ya un poco más grande, y su reciente muda.
Las arañitas tienen las patas con rayas. Las arañas Tegenaria, las agresivas, tienen las patas rayadas, pero estas arañitas no parecen tener la forma de una Tegenaria. Será que las rayas son nada más una moda juvenil?
I am reading a great book on spiders and evolution.
ReplyDeleteBrunnetta, Leslie, Catherine Craig
2010 “Spider Silk” Yale University Press
I am finding it slow reading, but very interesting.
Female webs have pheromones to attract the males. Such an elegant solution.
I'll look that up!
DeleteI suspect a different species of spider, as the small ones are hanging, while giant house spiders walk on top of the web. It's entirely possible that they start off their lives hanging and switch over at some point in their lives...I've never observed a definitive brood of hobo/giant house spider hatchlings before.
ReplyDeleteI've looked for them since; they have either moved on or been eaten.
Delete