Well, this was exciting! I was dusting in the hallway and looked at the underside of a wood carving. And see what I found there:
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| A fat cellar spider. |
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| And would those be eggs in her big belly? |
She didn't appreciate the duster, and moved up to the ceiling. So I followed, and then kept checking on her, several times a day:
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| Watching me, watching her. |
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| She did some vibrating dances to discourage attention, but had to rest occasionally. |
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| Still watching me. |
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| A day later, in the next room. |
And tonight, a week later, when I checked on her, she looked skinny, and longer. I climbed on a chair to see better, and, Yes! those had been eggs in her belly.
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| Proud mother. |
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| Pocket camera shot, showing all those long legs. |
If she stays put (I hope she does), I may be able to see the spiderlings developing, showing off their baby legs even while they're inside the eggs.
The spider: cellar spider, Pholcus phalangioides. Female, obviously.
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Nunca sabes lo que te espera; iba tranquilamente haciendo los quehaceres de la casa. Estaba sacudiendo una talla de madera en el pasillo, y mira lo que encontré escondida abajo:
1. Una araña fólcida bien gorda.
2. Y esas cosas en su abdomen, ¿serán huevos?
No se sentía a gusto con el plumero tan cerca, y se mudó a un sitio protegido bajo el techo. La seguí, y luego seguí buscándola varias veces diarias:
3. En el techo azul cielo, mirándome que la miraba.
4. Se puzo a bailar el baile suspendido que usan para confundir otros predadores, pero por fin descansó.
5. Me sigue observando.
6. El día siguiente, en la cocina.
Y esta noche, una semana después, cuando la vi estaba delgada, y parecía estar más larga. Me subí a una silla para verla mejor, y ¡Sí! Esas cosas que había llevado en el abdomen eran sus huevos.
7. La madre orgullosa.
8. Foto con la cámara de bolsillo, mostrando sus patas largas.
Y si permanece guardando su cría en el mismo sitio (Ojalá) tal vez podré ver cuando las arañitas empiezan a desarrollarse; con buena luz, se pueden ver sus patas antes de que salgan de los huevos.
La araña es Pholcus phalangioides.
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