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The Bodybuilder


The Bodybuilder
Photo Information
Copyright: Bente Feldballe (milloup) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 483 W: 41 N: 618] (1706)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-08-29
Categories: Spiders
Camera: Canon EOS 300D, Tamron 28-300XR, Hama Close-up +2
Exposure: f/13.0, 1/125 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Araneae (Spiders) [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-09-05 17:53
Viewed: 7695
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Araneus quadratus, Orb-web spider, a male of the species. This chap in his present pose so reminds me of a bodybuilder - large upper body, legs and "arms" but a slim lower body and then flexing the muscles to attract the females ;-)). Didn't help this chap much, though, I didn't see any females near him while I was there.. In this photo the pedipalps (see below) are very visible, and you can even see how the pedipalps are shaped for this particular species - he won't fit with any females except those of his own breed.
Spidery Seductions: The male and female's organs don't meet during mating, but fertilisation is internal and the male does not leave a sperm packet lying around for the female. Male spiders have pedipalps: special structures on their front legs used to contain and transfer their sperm into the females (other arachnids just squirt sperm on the ground or in a sperm packet and somehow get the female to take it up). The male spins a special web on which he deposits a drop of sperm. He then sucks up the sperm into the swollen appendages near his mouth (pedipalps) which look like boxing gloves and work like an eyedropper. Even though it involves such a tiny amount of sperm, the process of sucking it up can be long: half an hour in most spiders and up to 3-4 hours in some mygalomorphs! The male then goes in search of a female, often finding her by following the pheromone-laden draglines she leaves behind. To complete the mating, the male transfers the sperm to the female by inserting his pedipalps into her genital opening and squirts the sperm into her. The pedipalps and genital opening fit like a lock and key, to ensure he mates with only the right species. She stores the sperm alive in a special organ until it is time to lay her eggs.
Size: Females up to 15mms, males up to 8mms.
Months seen: June to October.
Habitat: Found in tall grass, bushes and hedgerows.
Food: Small flying insects.
Treatment: Crop, brightness +10, contrast +10, saturation +10, USM and resize.
japie, AndyB, gerhardt, Callie, carper, PDP, nwoehnl, Jeppe, Esox has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Bente, Beautiful spider shot. Great DOF, colours and detail. I like the asymmetric composition.
Greetings, Jan

  • Great 
  • japie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1814 W: 100 N: 1904] (5187)
  • [2004-09-05 18:16]

Excellent combination of a good photo and a good note. The image is sharp and the DOF great. Thanks for posting

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1391 W: 32 N: 1350] (3982)
  • [2004-09-05 18:29]

A very good capture of this 'Arnie' of the spider world!
Very nice and sharp detail with excellent DoF.
Great composition and an excellent note too.
Very well done.

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2004-09-05 18:49]

Excelente captura Bente.
Hermosa composicion, con muy buen DOF.
Tonos suaves, gran nitidez y encuadre.
Notas muy interesantes las que acompaņan.

Excellent capture Bente.
Beautiful composition, with very good DOF.
Smooth tones, great clearness and frame. Notes very interesting those that accompany.

Another superb shot of my favourite topic. I shows the pedipalps very nicely. Very sharp details and great DOF. Great supporting notes. Thanx.

It's really a bodybuilder,
very nice one, I have never see this one before, what a mussles, very good capture with great colours,and a great dof, really good job. I like it.

Hi Bente,
I sure like this vleispaleis, a flesh palace, directly translated, as we sometimes call body builders in Afrikaans.
Nice colours, pose - flex some more -. and them pedipalps. very good note too.

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2004-09-06 8:01]

Very nice Bente and he does look like a body builder, I bet no-one kicks sand in his face. Lovely composition and colours and great note.

Well, I am not much into insects, but your titles can do it for me every time, Bente. In our summerhouse we must have two million spiders in August, but I am not going to even attempt shooting them after seeing one of your sharp detailed renderings. Incredible. There, that's my last insect critique for today.

Well you got me with your association here, Bente - now I see the spider flexing its muscles, too :-) Very good catch in which I like the subtle light and the present details in the anatomy of the spider. Of course the compo and cropping are not bad either ;-) Great capture.

  • Great 
  • Jeppe Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 36 W: 0 N: 33] (193)
  • [2004-09-07 5:19]

You done a fine job as usual Bente - I like the great details on the fine pose you got from that bodybuilder ;-)
Thanks for letting us see this and for the note to explain.

  • Great 
  • Esox Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 239 W: 20 N: 344] (972)
  • [2004-09-30 14:21]

A great shot!
This specie is not so common, and all the technical stuff is really good.
Superb.

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