Spiders are awesome

[Ingmar]

More like wishful thinking really.

[IainC]

Just to add more pedantry, I can't be sure but those look like harvestmen, not spiders. 

We call those daddy longlegs around these parts.

In the UK, a Daddy-Long-Legs is the common name for a cranefly. The things in the picture would be harvestman spiders (even though they aren't spiders at all but opiliones).

[apocrypha]

Talking of crane-flys/daddy-long-legs, why is it that I think spiders are awesome, as are most insects, but daddy long legs freak me out? Hate them!

[voodoolily]

Craneflies are salmon's favorite food. When I was a kid we called those "mosquito hawks."

[Ingmar]

Here in California, crane flies are crane flies, and 'daddy long legs' means the cellar spider (which is actually a spider):

[TheWalrus]

Here in California, crane flies are crane flies, and 'daddy long legs' means the cellar spider (which is actually a spider):

If those are the same guys I've seen running around washington just in the past 5 years, thats an angry spider. I've seen them run across ceiling from about 6 feet apart and start attacking each other.  Sucks, as they also like to hang out in a cars engine bay.

[FatuousTwat]

We have both here, and they are both called daddy long legs, at least by the people I know. I always see them in the shower, and have had more than a few decide to rappel down onto me while in said shower. GAH!

[gryeyes]

They seem to prefer showers for some reason. The translucent daddy long legs with a elongated body. Ive seen them more and more lately, much preferable to the 26oz leaping fuckers i generally encounter. How in the hell do those things prey on huntsmen?

[pxib]

Fun fact: "What do mosquito hawk/crane fly/mosquito eaters eat?" Trick question. The adult form with the dangly legs hasn't got proper mouth parts for eating. It exists entirely to breed, and dies of starvation in only a few days, successfully mated or no.

[K9]

 

[apocrypha]

Early September which means that it's orb weaver time in our garden. Loads of them hanging around, fat & full of eggs, munching on flies, wasps and the occasional small bird:

[Mosesandstick]

F*ck me, fantastic. I think that belongs in the awesome pictures thread  .

What'd you use for the shot? (Since I guess you've hidden your EXIF data)

[apocrypha]

Nikkor 105mm f2.8 macro lens and a single flash with a mini-softbox stuck on the front of it, held in as close as I dared without touching the web on the right hand side. Was pretty much full-power flash at ISO400 to get down to f25 and I could still have done with more depth of field!

[apocrypha]

Few more:

[Draegan]

[Phineas Rhyne]

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/spider-silk/

Touching them. WITH HIS BARE HANDS.

I like spiders and these still creep me out.

[voodoolily]

I think that's a trapdoor spider?

[apocrypha]

No, I'm fairly certain that's a facehugger 

[Cyrrex]

Now you're just making up names to make it even creepier.

[voodoolily]

I think he was talking about Alien. 

[VainEldritch]

Spiders are sinister and I confess they are the only animals that I find genuinely "creepy".

It's their clutched stillness... their waiting... it carries the distubing notion that sly intelligence exists where non really should.


Brrrrrr.... 

[Mrbloodworth]

This count?

[01101010]

This count?

Since I get a image expired thumb when I clicked it, I was all ready to come on this and make fun of you. But cutting and pasting the pic lead me to pass out for an hour and I forgot what I was going to ridicule you about.

 

[Mrbloodworth]

This count?

Since I get a image expired thumb when I clicked it, I was all ready to come on this and make fun of you. But cutting and pasting the pic lead me to pass out for an hour and I forgot what I was going to ridicule you about.

 

Fixed thanks bro! 

[Lantyssa]

That is definitely NOT a spider, and thus not 'awesome'.

[tgr]

That is definitely NOT a spider, and thus not 'awesome'.

I disagree, it's awesome. It makes me want to bust out the macro lens.

What wouldn't be awesome is being the owner of that arm.

[Trippy]

It is not a spider, though. This is not the "Awesome Creepy Crawlers" thread.

[NowhereMan]

I would not be confident enough to explain to that demon that it was in the wrong thread.

[Ingmar]

Yeah there aren't too many arthropods that really really bug me, but centipedes are one of them.

It is a healthy fear to have though, some of those things are quite poisonous.

[Draegan]

[Pennilenko]

You are a dick.

[Cyrrex]

A spider constructed of tons of tiny spiders.  How terrible.

[tgr]

Spoilering for size:

[NowhereMan]

... I can never stop screaming...

[01101010]

Wolf spiders... yeah fuck that. They are known for running down their prey instead of using a web or trap to catch them. Step on it and kill a whole generation seems like a bonus.