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'Mummy' Long Legs


'Mummy' Long Legs
Photo Information
Copyright: Julia Hollis (Runnerduck) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 386 W: 61 N: 615] (1849)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-07-09
Categories: Spiders
Camera: FujiFilm FinePix S5500, Raynox DCR-150
Exposure: f/9.0, 1/125 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2005-08-05 6:30
Viewed: 1879
Points: 22
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Daddy Long-Legs - pholcus phalangioides

This is one of the better-known spiders, thanks to its distinctive appearance, curious habits, and frequent choice of houses and sheds for its home. They live upside-down on a rather formless web, and if disturbed will shake and whirl their bodies so fast that they become blurred, as a defence against predators.
The eggs are carried by the female, and each of the few large eggs is readily visible (as seen in my image). It is common in outhouses, cellars, caves and similar habitats, throughout Britain and Europe, except for the coldest areas.

The most distinctive feature is the very long slender legs, and the habit of resting upside-down. The carapace and abdomen are both pale greyish-brown.

(Collins Wild Guide)


I didn’t really have an option with the pov of this image. She was at the far end of my shed, which would have meant clearing it out before taking the image ….
I am really pleased with this image as I have a fear of ‘creepy creatures’ falling in my hair (if you ever meet me you’ll understand why …) so hanging around inside the shed is not something I try and do on a regular basis.


Thank you for taking the time to stop by, I appreciate all feedback, even comments :-)
dew77, PDP, red45, halki, TAZ, marhowie, gerhardt, dsidwell, scottevers7, thistle has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To marhowie: EggsRunnerduck 1 08-17 17:41
To scottevers7: Thank youRunnerduck 1 08-14 10:16
To dsidwell: Thank youRunnerduck 1 08-14 10:15
To gerhardt: DistanceRunnerduck 1 08-08 02:58
To PDP: Thank youRunnerduck 3 08-05 07:34
To dew77: Thank youRunnerduck 1 08-05 06:58
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2005-08-05 6:42]
  • [+]

Excellent capture Julia, not an easy subject at all. This is super as it shows some real behaviour of this spider. I've never seen one with the eggs so well developed. It's posssible to see the eyes and legs of some of the spiderlings. They typically lay around twenty eggs and the spiderlings will not moult until they are free of the sac. The sac is not as heavily constructed as most other species.

Excellent TN post!

PS on an anal bookkeeping note the species name should be all lower case.

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2705 W: 74 N: 8864] (30243)
  • [2005-08-05 8:08]

Wow, Julia! Great capture, you're very brave ;-) It is very hard to capture with all body parts in focus but you did it excellent. I like hairs on its legs and sack with eggs. Bravo!

  • Great 
  • halki Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 249 W: 8 N: 105] (469)
  • [2005-08-05 8:14]

Hello Julia!
Very interesting spider.Composition are wonderful.Thanks for posting.

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2005-08-06 3:55]
  • [+]

Hello Julia!
Wonderful capture.Composition is excellent.DOF,details and sharpness is at enough quality.I'm agree with you:"life is short";)).I liked your work a lot.TFS...:-)

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2241 W: 47 N: 3167] (10926)
  • [2005-08-07 4:27]

What a nice Arachnid with its eggs that you have well captured ! Composition, colors, details and sharpness are very good ! Thanks for sharing Julia.

Hi Julia, interesting image. You have done well to capture a complex subject. Regards, Rob

I have tried this and it is much harder than it looks. I would like to know what your working distance was when you took this shot? You pulled this macro off very well Julia.

Hi Julia. Your very close point of view here makes the legs go beyond the frame--emphasizing their length. Very effective! A lovely, morbid image!

Hi Julia,
Wow! now that is some impressive detail in this shot. The composition is superb. It is great to see something like this that you normally do not get to see. Great Shot!
Scott

Hi Julia, This is great! You've shown the eggs, egg sac and spider with very good details and DOF. The light, colors and composition all work very well IMO. This is great TN material and as Scott has said, you've brought us something we usually never get to see. Bravo!

You have some great pictures of spiders in your gallery [among other great pictures of other cretures, of course ;) ]
This one is superb. I've never seen this spider with kids. It looks quite amazing.
Picture is very good technically too.
I like it a lot!
VERY WELL DONE!

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