Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Huntsman Spider

The Huntsman Spider (aka the Rain Spider)

First things first, if you don't like spiders... feel free to continue reading this article.

Now, at my house we don't kill bugs or creepy crawlies ever... well, maybe a mosquito or two, but they have it coming cos they look for nonsense so it’s fair, you wanna bite me I’ll bite you back, flat between my hands. But that’s it… ok maybe also a fly… and a cockroach. Well, you get the point.

So anyway, I am pro-spiders cos they will hunt down kill and eat the mozzie, fly and roach thereby doing all the dirty work for me. Spiders are rad little guys and I let them nest where they please.

One particular spider that you may see in your home from time to time the Huntsman Spider (we call them Rain Spiders), they are called rain spiders because they are often most active just before or just after it has rained.

“This large brown spider is often found inside houses near lights during the night. During the day this often docile spider rests behind objects. In its natural habitat these spiders can be found on bushes and trees.”

This is the story of the Rain Spider at my house.

Once upon a time there was a rain spider who lived at my house. It was a very cute little rain spider. We often saw it in the house hunting for bugs. Then one day I noticed a white blob in the corner of my window pane.


It was a nest, and look there is mommy Rain Spider.















My hand is for scale. (Notice how far away it is from the nest)














And a few days later, here the little guys are hatching, aaaaaw, sooooo cute!













But hey, what's going on? Where is mommy? Mommy will stay by the nest until the eggs hatch. But she is nowhere to be found. I went around my garden to find her and then finally stumbled upon her... but she was not alone.

Well, dear friends, this is the circle of life and just as Mommy spider was out making food of mozzies, flies and roaches, other insects were making lunch outta mommy.



















Its seems that this Wasp caught the Spider.

To read more on Huntsman spiders click on the two links below.

This link describes them, theirs lives, character, etc.
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Huntsman-Spiders

This link shows a Wasp with a Huntsman Spider.
http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Mud-dauber-wasp-stinging-and-paralysing-spider/


So what about the babies?

Well, the nest is still there, whether they made it or not, I'm not sure. I figure if they were meant to make it, they would have. Though i did throw a bug in the nest to see if they would eat it. They did not.

Leave a comment :)

3 comments:

Phoenix Steel said...

Click on the photo's for a bigger picture.

Ryan Wallis said...

a truly enjoyable article

mary-jane said...

Doom is on special at the hyper ...