# Stuff from Southern Mexico-First time posting



## Hunter-MX (Oct 11, 2008)

Ok, I think I have been lurking around here long enough, let's see if I can contribute something productive here.

Background first...I am an American living in southern Mexico, the state of Guerrero, Zihuatenejo specifically (you know, Shawshank Redemption?).
I am a naturalist specializing in reptiles, but I enjoy photography and all animals, arachnids, insects etc. I usually post on a couple of reptile boards and browse here, however I have accumulated allot of arachnid stuff in the last few months and thought I would share with (what I hope) is an appreciative audience. What I can ID I will, the rest are just pretty pictures...

So, a couple of habitat shots first to set the mood. Technically this is Semi-Deciduous Tropical Thorn Scrub, we'll just call it jungle...



















Let's start with some smaller stuff, jumping spiders...






























I really like jumping spiders allot. They are easily overlooked and yet are probably among the most fascinating of the spiders. Their eyesight, hunting technique and mating rituals are amazing.

Some regular type spiders...
























This is an awesome looking spider...
























Some Orb weavers and web spiders...




































This is the biggest orb I have ever seen. outstretched it was as big as my hand. There was a tiny male hovering around her. He was about the size of a small pea...












The male


















A funnel web, this one is really big as well, easily 2 1/2 inches or more.












And last, but certainly not least, a few tarantulas. Start with some juveniles, I don't have a definite Id on the first ones as well as the adult to follow... 







I think this is just a larger juvi of the one above...






Both of which I believe grow into this...






Here is a burrow of one of these bad boys (girls), I coaxed her out but she shot back in before I could snap a shot.






And what Mexico post would be complete without one of these...






So here's hoping you enjoyed this. I also have literally hundreds of insect and butterfly shots as well, Maybe later if anyone is interested I will throw some of them up as well. If anyone cares to ID some of this for me I am always grateful. Thanks for looking


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## jonnysebachi (Oct 11, 2008)

Nice pics.  I really like the first 3.  Looks like a beautiful area with lots of wildlife hidden away.


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## olablane (Oct 11, 2008)

very cool!!!!!!!!!!! Keep posting pics, please. They are beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## T Frank (Oct 11, 2008)

Awesome pictures


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## crpy (Oct 11, 2008)

These are awesome, wow, Im sure I see a Heterapoda, Dolomedes, maybe dipluridae, pisuridae,the Ts are different spp.


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## Pulk (Oct 12, 2008)

after the jumpers, my guesses:

pisaurid
?
araneid, maybe Eriophora or similar, male
selenopid
philodromid
pisaurid
araneid, maybe Eriophora or similar, male
pisaurid
Argiope
Argiope
Argiope
same araneid
male Nephila
Argiope
Argiope
Argiope
kleptoparasite, probably theridiid, maybe Argyrodes
araneid
Nephila
maybe agelenid? eyes don't look quite right
not a tarantula - some other mygalomorph
don't know about the 3 tarantulas


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## lhystrix (Oct 12, 2008)

Hunter-MX said:


> Let's start with some smaller stuff, jumping spiders...


Wow, great shots. Going off Pulk's list, here's a few more specific ID's and thoughts:

Marpissa?






Phidippus georgii maybe. If so, great find.






A jumping spider






Selenops with egg sac.






Appears to be a subadult male. Those palpal organs are crazy!






A Neoscona






Pulk, I think this just a thin female.






Great find and my favorite images - a wolf spider, Sosippus, probably S. michoacanus.


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## Pulk (Oct 12, 2008)

whoops, should have looked closer at what I assumed was Argiope.

is the lack of leg spination what makes you say the small Nephila is a female? (do males also not have the "fur"?)

and crap, I was thinking of saying Sosippus but decided against it


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## Hunter-MX (Oct 12, 2008)

Thanks to everyone!


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## syndicate (Oct 15, 2008)

Awesome photos!Thanks for sharing :]
I will agree I think jumpers are without a doubt some of the coolest of all the spiders!That white one is very impressive looking to!


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## ahas (Oct 15, 2008)

Wow, nice pics.    I like the 1st and 2rd photos.

Fred


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## lhystrix (Oct 19, 2008)

Pulk said:


> whoops, should have looked closer at what I assumed was Argiope.
> 
> is the lack of leg spination what makes you say the small Nephila is a female? (do males also not have the "fur"?)
> 
> and crap, I was thinking of saying Sosippus but decided against it


I'm not sure about the males. Clavipes males lack it, but no idea about other species.

I say female because of the fur and more importantly the pedipalps, as well as the shape of the legs, chelicerae and carapace. It is just skinny.

Hunter, another nice image of the white jumper. I wish I could say with certainty it is P. georgii, but it could also be a relative such as Eris or Paraphidippus. Also appears to be an adult male.


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## Pulk (Oct 19, 2008)

jeff h said:


> I say female because of the fur and more importantly the pedipalps, as well as the shape of the legs, chelicerae and carapace. It is just skinny.


This is a definite male clavata... what's the difference between the pedipalp/chelicera area on this one and hunter's?

Also, the carapace isn't visible so I'm not sure what you mean about that part.

(I do think it's a female due to the leg differences, just wondering about the other features)


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## lhystrix (Oct 19, 2008)

Carapace was the wrong word. Cephalothorax is better.

As with clavipes, the leg tufts are absent in adult males. Tufts are present in Hunter's image.
I can clearly see the bulbs on your male and the typical female palps in Hunter's image.

Adult male chelicerae are weakly developed and quite narrow when compared to a female, and the females cephalothorax has a different shape due to their massive chelicerae. The male carapace is more rounded or narrow anteriorly.


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## pato_chacoana (Nov 10, 2008)

Great pics and finds! Very nice jumping spiders, and the smithi of course  

pato-


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## Taceas (Nov 10, 2008)

Beautiful photos! That white jumper is simply stunning. I agree, I think jumpers are often way too overlooked. Their interactive behaviour is very endearing.


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## Red Eyes (Nov 12, 2008)

Thank you for sharing your pictures! It looks like paradise there.


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