Erroll 80 #26 September 25, 2007 Quote I hate spiders.... Found the spider on my lawn. The moth with the 'eyes' was sitting against my lounge window - very pretty. Prawn - over here these are called ParkTown Prawns. Really just a 'king cricket'. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #27 September 25, 2007 Quote I take it you don't ride a motorcycle No, I don't. Some of the bugs we got out here, if, you were to hit one with a motorcycly... it's be a helluva wreck!Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #28 September 25, 2007 The photo below shows a tight mass of thin black strands hanging from the ceiling of a cave, and they were all twitching. What the heck is it? Is that some kind of moss or fungus, blowing in the breeze? But wait; there isn't any wind! So I picked up a stick and poked up there in the mass to see what it felt like. And then I freaked-out! Why? Because that stick stirred up the mass, which suddenly revealed itself to be about 10,000 granddaddy long-leg spiders all huddled together. And my prodding got them up and running so that they all started spreading out across the ceiling of the cave, while I was laying underneath them. Arghhh! Crawl for your life! It was like something out of a Stephen King horror movie, and I was lucky to escape with my life - they could have nibbled me to death... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #29 September 25, 2007 There's always a few of those around my house, but not massed together like that. "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #30 September 25, 2007 Here ya' go! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #31 September 25, 2007 NSFW! Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #32 September 25, 2007 There's a huge roach in my.... wait it's not that big anymore. Weeeee. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #33 September 26, 2007 QuoteAttachments: grasshoppers.JPG (36.0 KB) (Crocodile Dundee voice) You call that little thing a grasshopper? THIS is a grasshopper! (see below) It's called a "lubber", and they get to be 6" long. They're colorful, and protect themselves by having poisonous bodies - eat them and die. This one was photographed in Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #34 September 26, 2007 Quote Quote Attachments: grasshoppers.JPG (36.0 KB) (Crocodile Dundee voice) You call that little thing a grasshopper? THIS is a grasshopper! (see below) It's called a "lubber", and they get to be 6" long. They're colorful, and protect themselves by having poisonous bodies - eat them and die. This one was photographed in Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas. I don't know if, you noticed or not, that was 2 grasshoppers!That picture was taken on our property in Southwest Texas. Thanks, for the info! I don't guess, I'll be fryin' up any of those thing! Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keka 0 #35 September 26, 2007 OMG! I saw one of these about 2 weeks ago at my door, when I was getting home. I was getting close to the glass door and I saw something moving a little bit and when I got closer I almost fainted! lol it was kind of dark and I stayed outside until that thing moved away. what's the name of this anyways!?http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org PMS#551 I love my life :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #36 October 12, 2007 I found this beautiful bug sitting at my back door today. My first thought was: "Wow, an albino cicada!" But I think it's just a nicely camouflaged moth. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 235 #37 October 12, 2007 I was camping last week and saw two of those having sex. It was really weird because it just looked like a tangle of sticks moving around."I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shotgun 1 #38 October 12, 2007 QuoteHere's a little creepy crawly from Texas! Do you know what kind of spider that is? It looks like one that I killed in my room when I first moved out to Cali. I didn't know what it was, and I've never seen another one, but it really creeped me out. The climate out here is similar to West Texas, so it might be the same kind of spider. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #39 October 12, 2007 QuoteQuoteHere's a little creepy crawly from Texas! Do you know what kind of spider that is? It looks like one that I killed in my room when I first moved out to Cali. I didn't know what it was, and I've never seen another one, but it really creeped me out. The climate out here is similar to West Texas, so it might be the same kind of spider. That, is a tarantula. This one measured abour 8" across. I've seen tarantulas in Texas, colorado, New Mexico and Southern California. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zing 2 #40 October 12, 2007 After looking at that photo, I'd say that bug is called a solifuge, or commonly called a sunspider or a camel spider. In reality, it isn't a spider at all. They grow to about 3 inches in length around here (Arizona) and are fearsome predators of insects, small lizards, snakes and mammals. I have a collection of tarantulas from around the world and they range in size from a few 3/4-inch babies to adults that have a legspan approaching 9 inches. Here's an Aphonopelma chalcodes (desert blond tarantula) male mating with a female. He has an 8-inch legspan and her's is about 6 inches, but she outweighs the male considerably. I'm hoping for an eggsac of baby tarantulas come spring time.Zing Lurks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #41 October 12, 2007 doesnt' the female usually kill (& maybe eat)the male after mating? (that's so she doesn't have to put up with his snoring.) Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keka 0 #42 October 12, 2007 ewwwwww nasty. sorry... I just hate spiders.. any kind http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org PMS#551 I love my life :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #43 October 12, 2007 That's great photo John (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #44 October 12, 2007 I just saw my 1st WILD tarantula last sunday. here's a pic and a few others.My photos My Videos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shotgun 1 #45 October 12, 2007 QuoteAfter looking at that photo, I'd say that bug is called a solifuge, or commonly called a sunspider or a camel spider. Ah, I looked that up, and it definitely looks like the thing that I had in my room: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wind_scorpion.JPG. And funny that it's called a wind scorpion here, because I thought it was a scorpion when I first saw it, until I got up close. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zing 2 #46 October 12, 2007 That does happen sometimes, but not always and not with all species of spiders. For tarantulas, the males become dinner more often when they approach a female who is not amenable to breeding, perhaps because she is already gravid or is not in reproduction mode. I tried mating the two tarantulas a total of five times. The last time I put him in the females terrarium, she tried to pounce on him instead of mating and would have eaten him if not for the male's fleet feet and my intervention. The male has now been shipped to another tarantula hobbyist in North carolina where he will have the opportunity to mate with a few more females. Female tarantulas, though it varies from species to species, can live as long 40 years and mature withing 3 to 10 years, however the males tend to mature within 1 to 4 years of birth and rarely survive much longer than year after their ultimate molt to maturity. The first tarantula I owned was an adult female when i got it and I had it for 19 years before she died, apparently of old age. At the moment, I have immature tarantulas in my colection that could easily out live me. I was morbidly scared of spiders when i was a kid and bought my first tarantula to learn to get over that fear. While they are fuzzy little critters, I don't play with them, but I know other tarantula enthusiasts who think nothing of allowing their big hairy spiders to crawl around on their hands and arms and I've heard plenty of stories from folks who have had tarantulas run up a pant leg or shirt sleeve. A few of the tarantula species are reknowned for their ability to move at incredible speeds for short distances. So much so that new owners are often warned about some tarantulas' abilities to teleport themselves ... usually from the spider's tank to the top of the owner's head. Jtval, the tarantula in your photo is an adult male Aphonopelma species. In your neck of the woods, the tarantula breeding season is nearing its end and the males are out and about, desperately seeking females to mate with. Tarantulas have been found in fossil records dating back about 200 million years, but, surprisingly, or maybe not, there has been little research to identify just how many seperate kinds there are. In the past two years, the identified species and sub-types has grown from about 750 to 800 different kinds of tarantulas known to live around the world. Europe, one of the few continents that has no native tarantulas, is actually the hotbed of tarantula keepers and breeders for the hobby trade.Zing Lurks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #47 October 12, 2007 Thanks, Zing! You're pretty well up on your 'bugs'! Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterblaster72 0 #48 October 12, 2007 QuoteI found this beautiful bug sitting at my back door today. My first thought was: "Wow, an albino cicada!" But I think it's just a nicely camouflaged moth. Did you get a picture of it after you shot the thing? Be humble, ask questions, listen, learn, follow the golden rule, talk when necessary, and know when to shut the fuck up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thunderbow 1 #49 October 12, 2007 Not really weird, but I like the picture. A dragonfly in my front yard.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Lord, let me be the person my dog thinks I am. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #50 October 13, 2007 Nice. looks like a very similar pose to the one I shot. I like the black underside,though.My photos My Videos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
