#SpiderSunday: a candy-stripe cobweb spider (_Enoplognatha ovata_ var. _redimita_) on a Canada thistle. To the left you can see a spiky little tortoise beetle larva with its tail curled upwards to hold its protective shield of poop.
#spidersunday #arthrobeauty #dailyspiderpic #spiders #Theridiidae
The trick to getting whirligig mites (family Anystidae) to stay still: water! All that running must be thirsty work, because they will almost always stop to drink for a good long while.
#ArthroBeauty #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Anystidae
#arthrobeauty #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #anystidae
#SpiderSunday: an _Enoplognatha_ cobweb spider (a juvenile male going by the bulbous but undifferentiated pedipalps) delicately drawing out silk. Found down by the lake.
#ArthroBeauty #DailySpiderPic #arachnids #spiders #Araneae #Theridiidae
#spidersunday #arthrobeauty #dailyspiderpic #arachnids #spiders #araneae #Theridiidae
Just in under the wire for #MiteMonday: long-legged velvet mites (family Erythraeidae, probably _Balaustium_) feeding on pollen which I believe fell off a honey locust tree?
#ArthroBeauty #Mitestodon #MiteBehaviour #arachnids #mites #Acari #Erythraeidae #macro
#MiteMonday #arthrobeauty #Mitestodon #mitebehaviour #arachnids #mites #Acari #erythraeidae #macro
But, baby orbweavers are out in force, and we're almost at Peak Anystid!
#ArthroBeauty #DailySpiderPic #DailyMitePic #arachnids #spiders #mites #Mitestodon #Anystidae #Araneidae #macro
#arthrobeauty #dailyspiderpic #DailyMitePic #arachnids #spiders #mites #Mitestodon #anystidae #araneidae #macro
Anystid season is upon us! Saw three running around on one milkweed plant. However we have not yet reached the carnivorous chaos that is PEAK ANYSTID, when big whirligig mites run riot throughout the garden.
I just love these little guys I'm not sorry
#ArthroBeauty #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #Anystidae #macro
#arthrobeauty #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #Acari #anystidae #macro
Happy #WeevilWednesday!
A few weeks ago I came across this beautiful _Polydrusus_ weevil caught in a spiderweb on a tree trunk. Normally I let nature take its course, but I felt bad for the little guy, so I freed it (after getting photos of course).
#ArthroBeauty #insects #beetles #weevils #Coleoptera #Curculionidae #macro #MakroMittwoch
#WeevilWednesday #arthrobeauty #insects #beetles #Weevils #coleoptera #Curculionidae #macro #makromittwoch
Just under the wire for #SpiderSunday! I felt bad for this five-legged running crab spider (_Philodromus_ sp.) so I caught him a nice big midge which he quickly took from my hand.
#ArthroBeauty #DailySpiderPic #spiders #Philodromidae #macro
#spidersunday #arthrobeauty #dailyspiderpic #spiders #philodromidae #macro
I'm very proud of this spotting: _Attidops youngi_, a jumping spider with only 3 #iNaturalist observations in Canada and 8 total!
:inaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/161517842
#DailySpiderPic #ArthroBeauty #arachnids #spiders #JumpingSpiders #Salticidae #macro
#inaturalist #dailyspiderpic #arthrobeauty #arachnids #spiders #jumpingspiders #salticidae #macro
four genera of ants I've met recently:
- _Prenolepis imparis_
- _Camponotus_ sp.
- _Lasius_ sp.
- _Myrmica rubra_?
(cc @futurebird @alexwild đ)
#ArthroBeauty #antstodon #arthropods #insects #ants #Formicidae #macro
#arthrobeauty #antstodon #arthropods #insects #ants #Formicidae #macro
This tiny crab spider looks kind of grumpy that I flipped over its rockâŠthen again, they always look grumpy.
ID: probably a _Xysticus_ ground crab spider or a similar genus.
#ArthroBeauty #DailySpiderPic #arthropods #arachnids #spiders #Thomisidae #macro
#arthrobeauty #dailyspiderpic #arthropods #arachnids #spiders #thomisidae #macro
This pair grappled hanging off the edge of a piece of bark, a scene fit for an action movie, if the stars were walking cushions. The fight ended when one already battle-scarred participant fell to the bark below and scrambled off.
#ArthroBeauty #InverteFest #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #Trombidiidae #macro
#arthrobeauty #InverteFest #DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #arachnids #mites #Acari #trombidiidae #macro
MITE FIGHTS MITE FIGHTS
_Allothrombium_ red velvet mites, more peanut-shaped than their _Trombidium_ cousins, are known as "sumo mites" because of their pugnacity in mating season. The males defend little patches of territory against all comers before depositing spermatophores for females to pick up. This behaviour is described in Moss 1960: https://sci-hub.se/10.4039/Ent92898-12 :scihub:
#ArthroBeauty #InverteFest #Mitestodon #DailyMitePic #arachnids #mites #Acari #Trombidiidae #macro
#arthrobeauty #InverteFest #Mitestodon #DailyMitePic #arachnids #mites #Acari #trombidiidae #macro
Notre Dame des Araignées.
In the past I've seen small orbweavers like _Zygiella_ using this crevice as a retreat, but I think these spiders are araneophages (spiders that specialize in hunting and eating other spiders)âperhaps pirate spiders (family Mimetidae) or _Platnickina_ cobweb spiders.
:inaturalist: https://inaturalist.ca/observations/156811514
#ArthroBeauty #InverteFest #DailySpiderPic #arachnids #spiders
#arthrobeauty #InverteFest #dailyspiderpic #arachnids #spiders
#InverteFest humblebrag: looked under a chip of rock and saw two tiny yellow-beige dots that in shape reminded me of aphid fundatrices (though much tinier). Hit 'em with the 24x macro clip-on and discovered they were tiny baby bristle millipedes (order Polyxenida)!!!
(For non-crappy photos so you can see what they really look like up close: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/102499758)
:inaturalist: https://inaturalist.ca/observations/156641906
#ArthroBeauty #Arthropoda #Myriapoda #Polyxenida #millipedes #macro
#InverteFest #arthrobeauty #Arthropoda #myriapoda #polyxenida #millipedes #macro
(FYI, #ArthroBeauty is the hashtag I'm using for photos of arthropodsâinsects, arachnids, myriapods, etc.âthat are marked sensitive for the benefit of people who are curious about bugs and would like to learn to appreciate them more, but don't want to see photos without warning.)
A little #ArthroBeauty for #FlyFriday! At this time of year down by the water, the air is filled with swarms of non-biting midges (family Chironomidae), often flying around while mated. In this picture the one on the left is male; his fluffy antennae help him pick up females' pheromones.
#Flyday #FridayFlyday #insects #flies #midges #Diptera #Chironomidae
#arthrobeauty #flyfriday #flyday #fridayflyday #insects #flies #midges #Diptera #chironomidae
@BlueAppaloosa @Arachtober @jencmars Side note: I am a strong believer in using "mark media as sensitive" and CWs as an *outreach tool* for the many people who know spiders and other arthropods are important and beneficial, but do not want them IN THEIR FACE unexpectedly. I have been using #ArthroBeauty but suggestions are welcome!
this :inaturalist: observation from Indonesia of a _Rhene_ jumping spider on a blunt-headed slug snake's head, just because https://inaturalist.org/observations/86030605
by fhadlikennedi (CC-BY-NC)
#ArthroBeauty #snakes #herpetology #spiders #JumpingSpiders #Salticidae
#arthrobeauty #snakes #herpetology #spiders #jumpingspiders #salticidae
From my Ontario Place visit a couple weeks ago: a tiny spiderling ballooning from a fence post, on an unseasonably warm afternoon. #Araneidae? #Dictynidae?
#araneidae #dictynidae #dailyspiderpic #arachnids #spiders #arthrobeauty