October 19: Death and breakfast (Arachnophobes, avoid this post)

[neverspent]

Only a few inches from the black wasp I wrote about yesterday, I noticed with a start, inches from my face on a sunflower was a spectacular green spider with its fangs embedded just below the base of a carpenter bee's head. I've seen and even photographed spiders at their mealtimes before, but I've never seen a spider like this. Its body was a pretty, light green with some brown patterns on the abdomen. The legs were long, almost transparent, and dotted at intervals with black spots. Sprouting from each black spot was a long, thin black spine. Hairs, I suppose, but they looked particularly sharp and wicked. I have very friendly feelings about most spiders, but these black spines actually gave me a shivery thrill. If you like spiders, you should definitely have a look at this beauty.

Here's a large, closeup shot if you really want to see the details.

Comments

[nutmeg3]

What's wrong with me that I'm terrified of spiders, yet I had to look? And I have to agree, this guy looks evil. If he ever mutated into people-eating size, we'd all be goners.

[neverspent]

I think that kind of curiosity is very natural! ::pets:: And I don't *want* to say "evil," because I think she's beautiful, but where did my unexpected shiver come from? I think there's some kind of instinctive reaction. I'm sure if I looked around I'd find some kind of study showing that higher order mammals have an evolutionary reason for being afraid of bugs. :)