Macro Friday

It has been another unusually hot week in Shakerag. The other morning I found this snail on the glass outside my livingroom. It is harder than I expected to identify him. I know he's a mollusk and gastropod and terrestrial, but other than that I am drawing a blank.
Does anyone know a good website for identifying snails of the eastern U.S.?









Okay, so once again, I have to give the spider warning.





Spider photos follow!
















The next critter is a bit more familiar. She's a Black Widow. There are several species of Black Widows. They are a type of cobweb spider which means they don't make pretty, intricate webs. Their webs are messy, but strong.
The silk of Black Widows is stronger than that of most other spiders.

They are usually solid black except for bright red markings that frequently resemble an hourglass on the underside of her abdomen. This is highly variable.


These visible markings are on her back.
I may have to turn her over and see what that side looks like.

Here she is posing with her egg sac. A single female Black Widow can have up to eight egg sacs in a single year.
Most of the young don't survive to hatch due to cannibalism.




Black Widow females pick a spot and stay there waiting for food and mates to come to them. Above, you can see the remains of one of her meals.



The females are poisonous even to critters as big as humans.

The males don't bite or even eat as adults. They are much smaller and nondescript.
I have never seen a male Black Widow.

As always, you can click on any of the photos for a closer look.

Don't forget to
stop by

blogging from bolivia
to link up your own Macro Friday post!

-Susan

Macro Monday

The other day while in the woods, I saw a spider unlike any I had ever noticed before. I took some pictures. (I know that is shocking!) I then walked about ten feet and found another of the same kind!




Spider photos follow!




























These female Spined Mucrathena Spiders (Micratthena gracilis) were easy to identify because nothing else looks anything like them.

Only the females have the black and white spines. I saw the male on the web of the first spider, but he was so small and non-descript, I couldn't get the camera to focus on him.

Even the females were less than half an inch long.
The spines are supposed to both act as camouflage and
make them look unappetizing.

The web was perfectly round. Click to enlarge to actually see the web.

I'm linking to Macro Monday at Lisa's Chaos.
Stop by and see what macros you can see today!
-Susan

Macro Friday

I really will get back to critter photos soon. But lately, I've been a bit fungus-obsessed. Unlike most of my obsessions, mushrooms don't move. And they are around virtually anytime I look. And they are nearly infinitely variable. And often bright colors.

Soon I hope to be able to identify some of these mushrooms, too.
I have a book on the way.

So, without further preamble, here are today's msuhroom macros.

This is the bottom of the bright orange shelf-type one from the other day.



I think these look like shells.

I love the scalloped edge.




This one must be good to eat, at least if you're a slug or bug.



These look like flowers to me.

As always, you can click on any of the photos for a closer look.

Don't forget to
stop by

blogging from bolivia
to link up your own Macro Friday post!

-Susan

Watery Wednesday

This is my creek. After a rain, I can hear it splashing and talking from my deck. I have played and waded and skated on this creek. I've thrown and skipped rocks. My daughter has done the same. I've tried to catch fish. I've successfully caught many crayfish and frogs and toads in it. I've even caught a snake or two sunning on the banks. From standing in the creek, I have spied deer, pileated woodpeckers, bluebirds,
and even morels.


It's not a big creek.
Many branches are down in it from the ice storm in 2009.
There are sandstones and salamanders and snails.
It seems cool down at the creek, even when it is sweltering.
If it weren't for the ticks, I'd probably live in the creek.

I love my creek.

This is linked to Watery Wednesday.

Thanks for stopping by!
-Susan

Mushroomy Macro Monday

Well, it would seem I have been on a bit of a vacation the last week. In truth, I've just been insanely busy and a bit uninspired. But, I'm back and enthusiastic! Part of my enthusiasm comes from discovering simply the coolest mushroom blog ever! If you like the stuff I photograph, but with a fungal-emphasis, then you will love Mycologista! I wish I knew how I found it, but the important thing is I did.

So here are just a few of the mushrooms I found yesterday on my walk in Shakerag Woods.

The above mushrooms seemed to be on every fallen log.

I liked the light coming through this one.




It was a good day for orangey-yellow mushrooms.





Below is the underside of the same mushroom.

The following were inside a hollow log.


My mom thinks it looks like meringue that is browning. It sort of does.

More merunigue?



Above and below are the same mushroom.



I haven't identified any of these mushrooms partly because I haven't really had the time to try yet and partly because it can be really hard.

I'm linking to Macro Monday at Lisa's Chaos.
Stop by and see what macros you can see today!
-Susan

Macro Friday- A Walk in the Yard

Most of what I photograph is within a quarter of a mile of my house, unless otherwise noted. This time, all of the photographs were taken literally in my front or back yard.

This male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) appeared to be drinking water off the gravel of my drivaway after a rain.

This Leaf Footed Bug (Acanthocephala terminalis) was enjoying my deck.

Yes, I love a good mushroom photograph. I wish I knew what kind it is, but I don't.

An adorable grasshopper nymph on a red clover leaf.


After turing over a board I discovered this
Common Earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris).


I also found a female spider with her egg sac.




Spider photos to follow!





Arachnophobes proceed no further!

Unfortunately, I was unable to determine what kind of spider she is.


She looks similar to a Rabid Wolf Spider (Rabidosa rabida),

but she also resembles a Fishing Spider (Dolomedes okefinokensis).

If I can find her again and if her babies have hatched and if they are riding on her abdomen, she is a Wolf Spider. That is a strangly maternal behavior unique to Wolf Spiders.

As always, you can click on any of the photos for a closer look.

Don't forget to
stop by

blogging from bolivia
to link up your own Macro Friday post!

-Susan