in praise of Australian museums
Spider webs I see tend to be spiral shaped, or in messy tangles. I'd never seen one shaped like this before and wondered what spider made it.
If you want a plant identified you can send a photo to the Herbarium in Melbourne and they will id it for you, but it will cost you. If you want a critter identified you can send a photo either to the Melbourne or the Australian Museum and you will get an answer from an expert for free. It's a wonderful service. I've used it before. So I sent off the above photo to the Australian Museum and waited for a reply.
Dear Sue,
Thank you for your enquiry.
The type of web in your photo is referred to as 'lace web'.
Around houses they are most commonly made by the Badumna insignis. (Black or Brown House Spider), but other related spiders make similar webs. The pattern gets lost as the web ages and more silk is added, so this is a newly constructed web.
Around houses they are most commonly made by the Badumna insignis. (Black or Brown House Spider), but other related spiders make similar webs. The pattern gets lost as the web ages and more silk is added, so this is a newly constructed web.
Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.
Kind regards,
Anna Forster
Visitor Services Officer
For some time I have been trying not to clean the windows because I don't want to disturb the black or brown house spiders that find homes in cracks in the windows or sliding doors.
The webs they make are nothing like the lace web, so I suppose they are old webs that have been added to and renovated many times.
There's an assortment of tiny critters caught in the webs, in varying stages of decomposition and devourment. I think this must be a fly because of the wing. Looks good enough to eat!
Anna Forster also thoughtfully sent links for more information.
https://australianmuseum.net.
https://ednieuw.home.xs4all.
http://www.brisbaneinsects.
https://ednieuw.home.xs4all.
http://www.brisbaneinsects.
In these times of financial constraints and tightening budgets for public programs, it is fantastic to receive such service from a government funded institution.
I've never seen a web like that, Sue. It's marvelous. I'd be trying to leave it undisturbed as well. If our museums offer a service identifying critters like this I've yet to hear of it.
ReplyDeleteWe are very lucky to have this service, I think, Kris.
DeleteWe have a little jumping spider that lives on our laundry window sill. It moves around quite a bit, but is always there somewhere for us to enjoy his/her company.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how long lived spiders seem to be.
DeleteHi Sue,
ReplyDeleteThe museum staff are great aren't they?
I've asked the Australian Museum why penguins feet don't stick to the ice in winter in Antarctica; and the Queensland Museum ID'd a pair of frogs I found on my rural property from a photo I sent in (burrowing frogs). If you enjoy your dinosaurs, or your kids do, you can often chat with a roaming palentologist at the QM too.
Cheers
Hi Brennie, I'm in Melbourne, so the MM is my nearest. I don't know if they have a roaming palentologist but there are lots of wonders there. There was recently a wonderful exhibition about insects that I adored. You've got me intrigued - why don't penguins feet stick to the ice in Antarctica???
DeleteSuch an interesting web and so nice you can get free information from the Australian museum about
ReplyDeleteall kind of critters. I don't think we have this in our country. We have lots of spiders too over here but I think less than in your part of the world and I have certainly not seen spiders making such a wonderful lace web.
Hi Judy, We have a lot of spiders here, I think, most not poisonous or aggressive, although lots of people seem scared of them.
DeleteHi Catmint, I'm not a big fan of spiders but their intricate webbing is fascinating. How nice that you've got a place to get information! Inquiring minds want to know.
ReplyDeleteHi Grace, I didn't used to be a fan of spiders either. Now I'm totally hooked. Spent time this afternoon in fascination watching a tiny spider eat a beetle caught in its web.
Deleteand serendipity. When I worked in the Engineering and Science Library, Nature had a front cover article about the stabilimentum (the zig zag some spiders weave in their web) Promptly saw one in our garden and ours was 'yellow' silk.
ReplyDeleteHi Diana, now I've learned something new. Before you explained this word, I would have thought it was connected with horses more than spiders.
DeleteThat's wonderful! The web is a fascinating piece of natural artwork--especially the angle you show with the light shining through it. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos and the information about the spider.
ReplyDeleteHi Beth, so pleased you like the photo. I find it challenging to photograph spider webs because so much depends on the angle of the light.
Deletethere is a lot of information out there these days, it is just a case of finding out where! I laos hear of a plant identification app http://theplantguide.net/2017/08/23/best-plant-identification-apps/
ReplyDeleteThanks for this, AA, that is a fantastic app.
DeleteInteresting web. Reminds me of rick rack in the sewing cabinet.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I hadn't heard of rick rack, so I googled it and yes - that's exactly what the web was like.
DeleteI must admit that I find big black spiders rather scary. Your photographs give me shivers :-)
ReplyDeleteI love horror and weird stuff, maybe that's why I love spiders. Hope it isn't too awful seeing the photos.
DeleteVery interesting web. It reminds me of a giant zipper. I recently emailed a photo to a botanical garden for a plant ID. I was so pleased when I got an immediate response.
ReplyDeleteIt's great when an organization cares about the public, like your botanical garden and the museums here.
DeleteI hadn't seen a web like that before! That's great that you're able to send in pictures and get information like that.
ReplyDeleteThere are several little spiders in our house that catch all of the little gnats that manage to fit through the screens and they are very helpful.
They are our friends. Unfortunately because we have a couple of poisonous spiders here some people are very frightened of them and kill them.
Delete