spider mug shot

Sometimes I lead such an exciting life.

After my comments in this blog a few days ago about September and Spiders, tonight was my First Encounter of Autumn 2010.

I've been working this evening and was somewhat unaware of the time. It was around 11pm. From the corner of my eye I saw a small movement on the ground. It was a spider. Not an itsy bitsy one. Oh no. It was the type that casts a very long shadow and gets main title parts in Indiana Jones movies.

It was ambling across some papers I'd tossed on the floor as part of my working process. Then I stood up and it must have spotted me.

It made a sudden comedy rush across the floor and straight towards a paper carrier bag, which it hit on the outside with a discernible thunk. I moved the paper bag away from the wall to create a little gap and sure enough, the spider ran inside the gap to "hide".

I decided to round it up.

Nearest practical implement was my empty coffee mug. A deft move and the spider was inside the mug. Sometimes spiders try to jump out of mugs but this one was a bit stunned either from the running around or just deciding that a low profile was best.

I opened a window to the darkness and tipped the spider out. The office is over the back door to the kitchen though, and I expect the spider is already queuing to get back inside at the first opportunity.

So I won't be surprised if I find another similar sized creature looking as if it owns the place in the next day or two.

spider hunt weekend with buglife

The roaming reporters for rashbre central have advised me of the excellent news that this weekend is officially spider hunt weekend.

I had no prior knowledge, but it turns out the buglife charity has organised spider spotting complete with a groovy spider spotting guide.

Fortunately I preserve the anonymity of rashbre central's exact location, because it could very well be an epicentre for bug spotters based upon the recent bathroom discovery. Anyway, by using their reference pictures, I'm pretty sure that the bathroom spiderettes are descendants of pholcus phalangioides - daddy longlegs spider (not daddy longlegs the insect).

Why?

Because I eventually found the parents skulking in corners of the same room.

The squat little hoppy spider that hides around the wires by the computer is presumably a common zebra jumping spider and the ones on the outside of the windows look like true window lace weavers and slightly larger garden cross spiders.

The one with the thundering hooves in the garage is probably a hairy legged house spider.

Or an orc.

Anyway, armed with my new knowledge, I decided to conduct a small rescue operation for the ones in the bathroom. A strawberry jam jar, some A4 paper and about ten minutes of activity has seen most of them migrate back to outdoors.

I have a feeling that some of them will be back.

love spiders