Vineyard near McMinnville, and an abandonded hazelnut orchard in Amity Oregon.

[funnylori]

 

[Brent H.]

Very nice! There aren't a lot of places where you can find both of those Argiope species together.

 

[funnylori]

They weren't too close together. Maybe 50 miles apart. Still pretty sweet though. I was at work when I took these pictures. I work for an entomologist, and so I get to drive all over the Willamette Valley every week. Everything was found today at our sites.

 

[Brent H.]

Ah, the Willamette Valley -- I love that area, nestled between the Coast Ranges and the Cascades. I scoured the valley in July 2004 searching for females of Antrodiaetus occultus, a mygalomorph spider that was only known from the males. I finally found it near Corvallis.

They weren't too close together. Maybe 50 miles apart. Still pretty sweet though. I was at work when I took these pictures. I work for an entomologist, and so I get to drive all over the Willamette Valley every week. Everything was found today at our sites.

 

[funnylori]

Ha! I live in Corvallis. Now, I am going to seriously have to find this mygalomorph. You have given me a mission!

 

[Brent H.]

Ha! I live in Corvallis. Now, I am going to seriously have to find this mygalomorph. You have given me a mission!

It will be easier to go into the mountains. You can find Antrodiaetus pacificus ALL OVER out there.

 

[funnylori]

That is so awesome! I had no idea that they were in the Northwest!

 

[Brent H.]

That is so awesome! I had no idea that they were in the Northwest!

There are all sorts of mygals in Oregon, mostly Antrodiaetus (at least 10 species I can think of off hand plus an undescribed species in the Blue Mountains), and some mecicobothriids, too.

 

[funnylori]

I've just been searching for these on the net, and found a paper of yours. So far my searches have told me that I can pretty much find them anywhere. Is that right?

Actually, now that I think about it. I'm going to have to get to identifying some of the spiders I've recently caught. Who knows what I'm missing out on because I just didn't take the time to look them up.

 

[Brent H.]

I've just been searching for these on the net, and found a paper of yours. So far my searches have told me that I can pretty much find them anywhere. Is that right?

Actually, now that I think about it. I'm going to have to get to identifying some of the spiders I've recently caught. Who knows what I'm missing out on because I just didn't take the time to look them up.

They have microhabitat preferences, but once you know what to look for, they are everywhere. I don't know what paper you found, but if you find the one about the two species in NC, that will tell you a little about what to look for (A. pacificus and A. unicolor are similar ecologically).

 

[thumpersalley]

I live in ALbany. Give me an email at thumpersalley@yahoo.com if you like,Kim