Monday 20 January 2014

House and Garden


The House Spider    Tegenaria gigantea


 




 




 
The Garden Spider   Araneus diadematus



 




 




 



The House spider has very long legs, especially in the male. The body is brown, heavily mottled with black, with a number of clear chevrons towards the rear. The house spider builds a triangular web, then hides in a tubular retreat in a corner and waits for flies and other insects to become entangled. Females live for several years, surviving for months without food. Their habitat is, in and around houses, especially sheds, other out buildings, and also in open countryside, particularly in the south. Seen throughout Europe. The male Garden Spider Araneus diadematus is 5-8mm and the female is 10-12mm.It makes a large symmetrical orb web which acts as an aerial trap for flying insects. This spider made it's web just outside one of my windows, so I took some photos inside and some outside.

50 comments:

seijastiina said...

Upeat kuvat hämäkäkeistä!
Kauniit seitit ja kaikki ♥

Maria said...

I think we get the same garden spider you get over there. I often have to be very careful with them because since I photograph flowers, sometimes I find a whole bunch of these. I like the macros of the house spiders. House spiders are one of my favourite spiders of all, and as a child I had to fight with my parents who always had to kill them.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Oh goodness I want to keep my distance :) I have a bit of a spider phobia.

TexWisGirl said...

marvelous photos! love how the light caught the hairs on the legs!

Giga said...

To jednak zdolne owady potrafią sobie zrobić świetną pułapkę na inne owady. Bardzo ładne wszystkie zdjęcia. Pozdrawiam.
It is, however, capable of insects are able to make a great trap for other insects. Very nice all pictures. Yours.

Joke (Joke's Camera) said...

Excellent sharpness, Sonjia. Compliments for this beautiful series. Too bad that Lightbox doesn't function again. It's a software bug and the Google Crew doesn't know when it will function again. Sigh.... Greetings, Joke

Fernando Santos (Chana) said...

Excelentes macros....
Cumprimentos

Bob Bushell said...

Lovely House Spider. They do so much good, and we want them to go away.

Gail Dixon said...

The bokeh in the 4th shot down is magical. I don't mind looking at photos or taking photos of spiders, but if I see one in the house I run in the other direction screaming. Weird, the camera seems to be my barrier. :/

Nancy said...

I never knew spiders could be so beautiful....Your series is just amazing....

Adam said...

cool spider

Lasse said...

Great photos of these nice guy :-)

Breathtaking said...

Seijestiina

Good morning Seija:)

Thank you! I also think their webs are very special.

Breathtaking said...

Maria

These spiders must be the most common of all spiders, and yet they are still fascinating to me. I never ever kill one no matter where I see it.If I find one in my bed or bedroom, I get my spider trap out( a wide mouthed glass jar, slip a piece of paper underneith) and then relocate it outside. Just for good measure I usually ask not to come back inside!!:))

Breathtaking said...

Optimistic Existentialist

Hi Keith1:) Yes, I know about your phobia. Thank you for passing by, I appreciate it even more knowing how you fear them.

Breathtaking said...

TexWisGirl

Thank you Theresa!:) I'm so glad you picked up on that. I had never really noticed the hairs until I looked at the photos.

Breathtaking said...

Giga

Thank you Giga:) Their webs are intricately made, and to think they are made of silk is so special.

Breathtaking said...

Joke (Jokes Camera)

Thank You Joke:)What a pity, too bad! I must say I do miss seeing your posts. Lets hope it wont be too long before the problem can be sorted out.Keeping my fingers crossed for you.:)

Anonymous said...

Hi Sonjia!

Talented and ingeniuos builders they are, and clever hunters too.
Here the saying goes that when you como across one of them that means good luck, anda lots of money coming your way - but it never happened to me so far...

Great shots; you manage to make them look almost beatiful...

Hugs
Vitor

Breathtaking said...

Fernando Santos (Chana)

Obrigado Chana!:)

Breathtaking said...

Bob Bushell

They have lovely patterns, and most are harmless, but the irrational fear of spiders is widespread.Poor things!:))

Breathtaking said...

Gail Dixen

Hello Gail! So nice to see you here.:)So pleased you like the fourth photo,... I like that one too.I know what you mean, about the camera being a shield, it has even helped me overcome my fear of
some insects, and the more I watch and study them the less scared I have become,... except for centipedes!!:())

Breathtaking said...

Nancy

Thank you Nancy!:)They have such pretty patterns,... so pleased you appreciate their beauty.

Breathtaking said...

Adam
Thank you Adam.:)

Breathtaking said...

Lasse

Thank you Lasse!:)

Breathtaking said...

vitorchuvashortstories

Hi Vitor!:)

Thank you Vitor!:) Yes! they are amazing creatures and some are very beautiful. The way that different species of spiders construct their webs in their own unique way, and use different tactics to catch their prey is fascinating.

There is a similar saying in England with very small spiders. If you find one in your pocket, money will come your way. In fact they are known as Money-spiders, but the likelihood of one finding a spider in ones pocket is very slim.:))

karmnik54 said...

Fajny:)

Waldameise Andrea said...

Wow, faszinierende Makro-Aufnahmen. Jedes Detail ist zu erkennen. Man kann sehen, welche Künstlerin die Natur ist. Mit dem bloßem Auge nicht wahrzunehmen. Tolle Fotos.

Danke auch für Ihren freundlichen Besuch bei mir.

Liebe Abendgrüße
von der Waldameise

Rita Vaselli said...

I do not like spiders ... but the web is stunning ... gorgeous colorsthat already look painted!
Hugs and kisses,Rita.

Stuart Price said...

They can survive months without food? My god, they will inherit the earth if there is a major catrasophe.........

irene alves said...

Minha amiga, aqui há sempre fotos
de uma grande qualidade e também
representativas do seu amor
pela natureza.
Bj.
Irene Alves

Sonia Aguiar said...

Querida Sonjia, son unas fotos muy bien realizadas. Yo nunca he fotografiado una araña, me dan un poco de miedo :) La naturaleza nos muestra criaturas curiosas y hermosas; gracias por mostrar esta serie de fotos. Mi enhorabuena!
Un cariñoso abrazo, Sonia.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sonja,very close and interesting photos. I like nr 4 best because of the beautiful coloured background bihind the web. A very, very good photo.
All the best greetings from
Monica

Mike Attwood said...

Not my favourite creature, nevertheless, very well taken shots.

Breathtaking said...

Kleine Valdameise
Many thanks for your lovely comment.I never knew what amazing designs they have until I started photographing them.

ps I like your surname!:))

Breathtaking said...

Rita Vaselli

Dear Rita, The colourful 4th picture is the one I like best.This is what I saw when I first spotted the spider.It was a
beautiful moment in time.

Hope the weather has improved for you. Have a happy weekend.:)
Beijos.

Breathtaking said...

Karmnik54
Thanks!

Breathtaking said...

Stuart Price

Hi Stuart!:) No doubt spiders and cockroaches as well!!:))

Breathtaking said...

irene alves

Thank you so much Irene.:)
Have a happy weekend
Beijos.

Breathtaking said...

Sonia Aguiar

Dear Sonia, Thank You so much for your lovely comment. My camera sort of acts as a shield when I'm photographing creepy crawlies, and I don't think about the fact that I am only mm away.

Querida Sonia, gracias tanto por su comentario encantadora. Mi cámara actos como un escudo cuando estoy fotografiando bichos, y yo no pienso en el hecho de que sólo soy mm de distancia.
Um carinhoso abrazo.:)

Breathtaking said...

M

Hello Monica!:)

Thank you dear!:)The 4th picture is perhaps my favourite also.

Keep well
Take care and have a good weekend.

Breathtaking said...

Mike Attwood
Thank you Mike!:)They are not mine either, but I prefer them to flies!:)

I hope your weather has improved and you are able to get out and about to do some photography.

Take care.

Jerry said...

My son has just started a blog, I suggested he looked at yours for inspiration and this post is just up his street (mine too of course). x

Ana Mínguez Corella said...

Hi!!!.. great pictures of this spider.. Congrats..

Breathtaking said...

Ana Minguez Corella

Thank you Ana!:)

Have a good week.

Noushka said...

Great pics of these garden and house spiders!
The bokeh behind diadematus in pic N4 is fantastically colorful!
I see the 2 species regularly here, I used to photograph them before I got so much involved with birds!
Many thanks for your kind comment, I hope the male deers will show up at the right moments so that I can follow the evolution of the antlers! ;-)
Enjoy your evening!

Breathtaking said...

Noushka

Thank you Eileen!:)I would very much like to see your spider photos.I'll look for them on your blog, perhaps they are there, and also be on the look out for your posts on the roe deers which I find very interesting.
Cheers.

Breathtaking said...

Jerry
Now I know that Thomas is doing a photography course,( something I have never done) it is I who will probably get inspiration from his blog!
Take care. x

Unknown said...

The photos of the spider webs and the webmasters are stunning. The first of the series is truly amazing, with the background of colourful flowers.

Breathtaking said...

Stiletto ElsieXie

Thank you Elsie!:) So pleased you like that one,... it also caught my attention when I first saw it outside the window.

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