Arrow-shaped Micrathena Spider - (Micrathena sagitatta)

The spiny ridges on females are believed to ward off predators, but some sources believe they add to her ability to conceal herself in her web. Males do not have spines and are mostly black with white edges. Females are twice as large as males. Both have ab abdomen that actually gets wide as it nears the end of the body.

Both genders spin orb-shaped spiral webs that lie in a vertical plane (up-and-down). They may only be a few feet off the ground. A short zig-zagged strand of webbing called a stabilimentum may be just above the center of the web. Spiral strands radiating from the center allow the spider to tread easily on its web. Orbweavers are known to rebuild their webs every day.

In autumn, a female will lay eggs on the edge of her web, usually on a leaf right next to it and then die before they hatch. The eggs will overwinter and hatch the next spring. These spiderlings will start out with longer abdomen than adults as well as short, stubby spines.


Adult Size (Length): 4mm to 9mm (0.16in to 0.35in)
Identifying Colors: red; yellow; black; orange; white
General Description: pointy, holes, thorny, spiny, venomous

Arrowhead Orb Weaver - (Verrucosa arenata)

Orbweaver spiders belong to the family Araneidae. This is a huge family of spiders in North America. The shaped of the web created by these spiders is a circular spiral. Silk lines will radiate from the center and many are known to rebuild their webs every day.

The more common varieties of orbweavers have a bulbous abdomen. This species does not. Its markings and abdomen shape are similar to an arrow tip. It makes for a unique body shape. The darkness of the body can vary between spiders as can the color of the 'arrowhead'. Some of the triangular markings are white or pink instead of yellow. The color pattern on is the same among Arrowhead Orbweaver spiders living in the same area.

This spider creates webs in shaded areas of a forest and sits on it with its head up while most other spiders keep their heads down. The legs are tucked in at their sides as it awaits prey. Like other spiders, once an insect wanders into its web, the spider immobilizes it with a bite and eats it later.

They are most active in middle and late summer. They can be found in wooded forests, hiding in the darker, shaded areas. 


Adult Size (Length): 5mm to 6mm (0.20in to 0.24in
Identifying Colors: red; brown; yellow; white; pink
General Description: pointy, arrow, triangle, patch, tucked, venomous

Ant Mimic Spider - (Castianeira longipalpis)

With bodies shaped more like ants, at first glance, it may be difficult to tell that this creature is a spider. They walk with their front pair of legs raised in the air as if they were antennae, making it tricky to identify it as a spider when first counting legs. The resemblance to ants is a defense against predators. Many types of ants are pungent to taste and are unlikely to become food for larger predators. Ant Mimic Spiders often live near ant hills or nests to benefit from that unsavory reputation.

They can be found anywhere ants are found: fields, lawns, gardens, woods, on trees and under stones. Look for their tubular sacs of silk inside a rolled-up leaf or under plant matter. When not hunting, they rest inside these sacs as do all members of the Clubionidae family.



Adult Size (Length): 5mm to 10mm (0.20in to 0.39in)
Identifying Colors: black; yellow; orange; red
General Description: ant-like, patterned, venomous

American House Spider - (Achaearanea tepidariorum)

The American House Spider is a Comb-Footed spider. It has long, skinny legs and comb-like hairs on the back tarsi ('ankles'). They fling strings of their spider silk at insects that get entangled in their web. The victim is then bitten, injected with venom and eaten at a later time. It is moved from the web to allow other prey to fall into the trap.

They have bulbous abdomen, neither spherical nor flat. This spider is inconspicuous and rarely bothers humans. They may opt to 'play dead' if threatened. If handled roughly though, they may bite. Their venom is not lethal to humans like their relative, the Black Widow.

Females lay eggs in a pear-shaped, brownish egg case and hangs it from the web. Females guard their eggs until they hatch and can live fore more than a year


Adult Size (Length): 4mm to 6mm (0.16in to 0.24in)
Identifying Colors: brown; tan; black, white
General Description: mottled, speckled, biting, venomous

Cockroaches are cool!

Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which
about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitats.
About four species are well known as pests. (Source: Wikipedia) So only
30 species out of 4,500 are associated with human habitats, and out of
the 30 species, only 4 of them are pests! Just because of these four
pest species, there's really no reason to

Kota Kinabalu Macro Trip

Some of the creatures I photographed during my macro/nature photography
trip to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo). Pyrops heringi - the
main reason for the impromptu trip to Kota Kinabalu :D Unfortunately,
this rare beauty was on a tree on a slope and we couldn't get any
closer. Cropped from this image. A 400mm F5.6 would have come in handy
at that time! More amazing lantern bugs /

Eyes Eyes Baby :D

Pardon the cheesy title. I posted an eye shot in my Facebook album and
someone teasingly commented that I should create an album just for eyes
shots! Cyrtodactylus quadrivirgatus, Marbled bent-toed gecko More
tropical reptiles here. Gehyra mutilata licking its eye Gekko gecko
Gecko Poor little gecko with an ant biting it Sabah slender skink,
Sphenomorphus sabanus Green crested lizard