Southern California Yard Spiders

[GQ.]

I know these aren't exactly field photos, but they are all wild spiders.

Orb Weaver
This is the only Orb weaver I have found with the white stripe. It would leave its web up all day and hide in the leaves as shown below. I haven't been able to find this one again.

I usually spot the below Orb weavers in the earlier mornings and late evenings. They are VERY skittish in the morning during good photography light. They retreat at the slightest movement. This species tears up its web every morning and builds a new web each evening. These are the ones that make me have to do an up and down karate chop motion from the car to the front door. They have a habit of stringing up a web in every pathway.

Another one hiding in palm fruit.

I tried to take a photo of one at night as they kept eluding me during the day.
Back Yard Orb Weaver Night Shot

I finally lucked out and caught one feasting on three bees late one morning.

A playground widow.
Latrodectus hesperus

The ubiquitous back yard, garage, front yard, all over widow.
Latrodectus hesperus

I found this Green Lynx on a rose bush at my mom's house.

Lastly a Sow Bug Killer.
Dysdera crocata

 

[Gsc]

Wow GQ...That last one is "mean" looking...lol

 

[GQ.]

I was impressed the first time I saw the threat display. They keep their fangs tucked away when they are not disturbed. I had no idea they had such large fangs until I bothered one a bit too much while taking photos.

 

[Johnnyster]

Nice pics GQ....

 

[Rydog]

nice pics man, the last one looks like a tick with fangs....;P

 

[Texas Blonde]

That night shot is absolutely killer. Im stealing it for the background of my comp (beating out a very sexy Hank III). Very cool pics, thanks for sharing.

 

[cacoseraph]

I was impressed the first time I saw the threat display. They keep their fangs tucked away when they are not disturbed. I had no idea they had such large fangs until I bothered one a bit too much while taking photos.

fully! they throw an awesome threat display! i was going to grab one in the field and kind of missed... it threw a threat and i honestly rethought grabbing it and let it go! it was funny cuz i felt like i was like... somehow letting the spider win or something. heh.

these things are very tolerant of each other in the field and captive conditions and the babies are this really cool hot translucent orange

 

[arrowhd]

Great photos. The contrast of colors on the "Green Lynx" photo is awesome.

 

[GQ.]

Thanks everyone!

Sky,

I'm honored!

cacoseraph,

I have you to thank for telling me about the threat display in the first place. I tickled this one with a piece of grass and she rewarded me with the fang shot.

Rydog,

They do look like an evil tick when they are that chubby.

 

[Alakdan]

The last one is wicked! It looks like a tick on steroids.

Thanks for sharing your pictures.

 

[xgrafcorex]

nice pics as usual gil. i really like the one of the green lynx spider on the rose. very nice.

in the first pic of the orbweaver, is that an egg sac to the left? inside that leaf that seems to be folded in half?

 

[GQ.]

Good eye Brian! I just now walked outside to take a look and it is still there. Here is a better photo of the eggsack. I don't see any spiderlings or eggs inside the sack.

 

[xgrafcorex]

heh, i think that sac was the second thing i looked at in the whole pic. i guess the color just seemed off. funny thing is, i was gonna say you had a good eye for seeing her there..she blends in fairly well and i'm sure she isn't very big. would be hard to notice off the bat i suppose.

so you think the sac is a dud?

 

[BedroomEyzOfBlu]

Those are cool spiders - thanks for posting them. IMHO, ur photos are very nice

 

[KUJordan]

That second, "all over", widow you posted is NOT L. hesperus I'm pretty sure. It looks to me like a dark L. geometricus. Did you keep it or get any different pics of it? L. geos are being found in Cali but are much more difficult to locate. Maybe some of the other widow guys as well can put in their $0.02. Great pics all around though.

 

[GQ.]

X,

It doesn't look like anything viable is in the sack. They may have hatched and dispersed by now.

BedroomEyzOfBlue,

Thank you!

KUJordan,

You may be right. That spider is still under the lip of a pot in the back yard. I have found plenty of the typical round white eggsacks for L. hesperus in the webs around here. I have not noticed any of the distinct spiky geo eggsacks in any of the webs I have found in the yard or garage. There may be some L. geometricus around here, but I haven't found the eggsacks yet. I can probably catch the above spider and see what type of egg sack it lays for a definitive answer.

I know Pulk finds L. geometricus in his neck of the woods. He is maybe 20 miles away from me and closer to the coast.

 

[radjess331]

lol we get lots of those spiders that are pinkish brown with the huge fangs in our house