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Mother Wolf
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Hello to the good folks here on TN.
Today I have a photo of a wolf spider carrying its egg sack. it is an identifying characteristic of the wolf spider family , the female attaches the egg sack to her spinneret until the eggs hatch , then the baby wolf spiders will actually live on her back till they are able to hunt on their own. I sure am hoping to get a photo of that to share here :-) exactly matching id of wolf spiders can be a bit tricky two characteristics of comparison are the location of its eye's , plus the locations of the bristles on its legs. some are striped making ID easier.
watching this female and a few male spiders on this old fallen tree I noticed that the males seemed to be attacking this female , she would run to a crevice in the log then return a short time later , I am not really sure if they where trying to make prey of her or trying to mate. I was hopeful to see one catch one of the many flies frequenting the log but alas no luck there. an interesting fact I discovered about the hunting / venom of the wolf spider is that the venom not only contains peptides to paralyze their prey , but also has antimicrobial peptides to prevent any microbial infections transmitting from its meal.
wolf spiders are extremely common and also extremely important to an ecosystem and beneficial to humans as they significantly reduce crop destruction by other insects. it is seldom considered by humans that we live in competition with insects for our food supplies , I believe that Darwin stated that ' insect's rule the world , and we humans are merely their guest's '. the massive numbers of wolf spiders not only serve to strike a balance controlling the population of insects whose major defense is breading but they also provide a readily available food supply for ground feeding birds such as robins , when you see a early spring robin on the ground flipping over last years fallen leaves , this is what they are mostly looking for.
walking along a wooded area one may see hundreds if not thousands of these spiders , and may be tempted to believe that are 'over populated' but as predatous insects their breeding and egg laying is tempered by the availability of food. as the hunter and the hunted this creature plays a pivotal role in our environment.
I am posting a second image to the workshop with a different view focused more to the egg sack. hopefully in a week or two I will find an image of this spider carrying its young upon its back.
thanks for stopping in
regards
Art |
uleko, PaulGana, maurydv, boreocypriensis, jaycee, Luis52, Adanac has marked this note useful
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- uleko
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2585 W: 170 N: 7879]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(24911) - [2008-06-07 8:30]
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Hello Art,
So, I've got a really nasty neighbour this time - a Wolf Spider!! Help! It is a superb capture from a fine low POV and showing very sharp details and fine colours againsst a natural environment. I really like the composition.
TFS and best wishes, Ulla
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- odin
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 196 W: 1 N: 213]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(1143) - [2008-06-07 9:54]
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Very nice shot Art, It is very beautyfull spider. You show lot of details. Well done
Sébastien
very fascinating shot and notes, great closeup
Hi Art,
Great shot, spider looks really scary in this pose and 8 shiny eyes...excellent composition and details, well done!
cheers
Adrian
Impressionanti alcuni dettagli di questo ragno, ottimo POV e molto bella la composizione con lo sfondo del legno, buona nitidezza, molto belli i colori e la luce con il flash. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio
Hi Art, perfect macro capture of this mother wolf spider with excellent details. TFS.
Cheers,
Bayram
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- jaycee
(16095)
- [2008-06-07 16:34]
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Hi Art,
What a nice gallery you have! What an amazing shot this is. I have never seen nor heard of a fox sparrow. Amazing to see the head of a fox on an insect! Details are wonderful and colors are nice and natural. This is a whole lesson for me - I didn't know about seed packs either. Wonderful notes and wonderful capture.
Jane
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- Luis52
(10447)
- [2008-06-07 17:38]
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Hola Art.
Muy bella foto, e interesante la nota escrita aqui. Gran claridad e iluminacion Art.
Saludos
Luis52.
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- gannu
(11874)
- [2008-06-08 3:17]
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Hello Art, Nice note and supported by a superb composition. I like the tiny little eyes with the black spot. Beautifully captured and good focus. Ganesh
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- Adanac
(15132)
- [2008-06-09 0:10]
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Hello Art,
Great images with wonderful notes to go with them, thanks for sharing these gems.
Rick
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 170 W: 32 N: 465]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-s-g.gif)
(1929)