St Andrews Cross Spider

[Ross the fiddler]

Just a few images of this spider making itself comfortable in our Kiwi Fruit vine.


E-M1+50-200mm lens+EX25


E-M1+50-200mm lens+EX25 with FL50R flash diffuser


E-M1 + Sigma 150mm macro lens


E-M1 + Sigma 150mm macro lens + EX25

All photos are jpegs straight out of the camera, resized & sharpened for web display only.

Thanks for looking.

[Barr1e]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

Is it the biting kind Ross?

Regards. Barr1e

[Wally]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

Some nice shots but I'm so glad you're over there and I'm over here.

They [spiders] give me the willie's and showing them close up doesn't help.

I noticed you used the 50-200mm with an ex25 adapter... you're not daft.

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

Is it the biting kind Ross?

Regards. Barr1e

I'm sure it would bite (or rather, stick its fangs into you) if you're silly enough to stick your finger into it. They don't normally have a large web stretching across the driveway (like the orb spiders) so less likely to walk into it, suffering from an attack they way. I can't remember their danger rating & should look it up I guess.

EDIT: It doesn't seem much of a problem as quoted here.

Venom toxicity - the bite of the St Andrews Cross is of low risk (non-toxic) to humans. They are a non-aggressive group of spiders

Some nice shots but I'm so glad you're over there and I'm over here.

They [spiders] give me the willie's and showing them close up doesn't help.

I noticed you used the 50-200mm with an ex25 adapter... you're not daft.

Thanks Wally. I put the EX25 on to get closer. I did use the 50-200 lens but also the Sigma 150 with the EX25 for the close shot with lens being a few inches from the spider using Live View in case the spider decided to run up the lens to greet me. I guess I could have used the EC14 instead.

[Wally]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

Is it the biting kind Ross? Regards. Barr1e

This link shows an interactive chart that gives some info on the various species of OZ spiders > OZ Spider Chart & Info

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

This link shows an interactive chart that gives some info on the various species of OZ spiders > OZ Spider Chart & Info

Yes, that's the link I added above & seems quite useful.

I took some more photos again today, tried out the 50-200 with the EC14 but the better images with more detail were with the Sigma 150 macro lens & EC14 teleconverter (which is how it should be), so here they are, a little larger too.





Some bits in focus


And the eyes in focus.

[Wally]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

Hi Ross, I hadn't noticed your info which is one reason I looked the info up. The other reason is I'm hoping to visit OZ sometime in the not too distant future and as spiders give me the creeps I thought to look things up...

I now wish I hadn't.

BTW your last post ^ had my flesh creeping... the good news is that they aren't that size in real life. Or are they?

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

Hi Ross, I hadn't noticed your info which is one reason I looked the info up. The other reason is I'm hoping to visit OZ sometime in the not too distant future and as spiders give me the creeps I thought to look things up...

I now wish I hadn't.

BTW your last post ^ had my flesh creeping... the good news is that they aren't that size in real life. Or are they?

Oh, I forgot, this spider is nearly 6cm from toe to toe (if he had toes ) across the diagonal. It's not as bad as it sounds (stories of spiders here) by any means, but it is good to be aware. We had a funnel web spider appear in our bathroom vanity area a few weeks ago & when my son stepped on it my wife said he should have collected it instead for milking, but the reality is that no one has died from a funnel web spider for a long time anyhow.

I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself here when you come.

[KeithL]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

God, those images give me the shivers. Can't stand spiders, even though I occasionally photograph garden ones.

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

God, those images give me the shivers. Can't stand spiders, even though I occasionally photograph garden ones.

Sometimes I just step on them, but this one is 'cute'.

Anyhow, I thought I'd show the context (surroundings etc.) of this spider & took this with flash last night. This is the Kiwi Fruit vine we have growing (thickly, but trimmed regularly) around our deck.



And today it was wrapping up dinner.



Thanks for indulging me & looking (which you have if you're reading this).

[Guest]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

What ghastly creature's you consort with, Ross. I see no justification for it having been ordained a Saint - and you, in having so superbly imaged this satanic creature have only added to its bogus claim to godliness!

[Wally]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

@ Pandora

I'm sure that in the grand sceme of things, the 'Big Yin' upstairs has it all worked out. Everything has a reason for being here, we have yet to work it all out... but I still don't like spiders or snakes.

Perhaps this is where the saying - "You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time" came from?

[KeithL]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

6cm toe to toe....yuk.

Worst (nastiest) creatures, I think, are giant centipedes. Too big to stand on, but you certainly don't want any near you! Razor-sharp, poisonous front feet. I've seen them in Cyprus around 4-5 inches long; grow to 9-10 inches long in the tropics. There's a clip on YouTube of one catching and killing a bird-eating spider, and others catching bats in flight, and killing them. Truly revolting creatures.

[Guest]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

Yet come to think of it Keith, in the eyes of our prey aren't we likewise nasty revolting creatures? Imagine being hauled from the deep head first with a hook in your mouth to have a knife rammed through your brain seconds later, or at 6 weeks old to be clubbed to death and skinned for your coat on the ice floes of the Gulf of St Lawrence, not to mention another sea mammal whose portions disgrace the tables of high end Japanese restaurants et al.

[Wally]

Re: St Andrews Cross Spider

Man, the top predator and waster of resources and habitat bar none.

Nice to know the planet is in safe hands.