Widow appreciation.....

Excellent pictures as usual Jason! I just know you posted those bishopi pictures so I would drool over them!

I wish I still had some.....the only one that Dwayne has left is roaming about in his room somewhere.....eeeekkk

Funny how I've been a member of Fauna for a while now and until yesterday had not posted a single thing! That's gotta change!

Nice to know that Leanne is in da house! I like this forum. There is an incredible amount of stuff here. Lator gator.

Bishopi I keep like all my scaffold web builders, [got a lot of different things]
1 gallon wide mouth plastic jars, like the kind they put candy in at convenience stores. These are up side down for easy waste removal, you just un twist the 'lid' and remove the waste and clean the neck and lid. Replace it and clean bottom...The female spiders 9 out of ten times will make the base nest in the 'top'[which is the bottom] and usually retreat and curl up.
Of course mactans, hesperus and variolus are rather agressive and will turn around and spray web at you or even try and bite so be careful.
I would just like to say that these guys even the geometricus [lesser venom??] have the ability for an extended hospital stay and are NOT for beginners

Florida will be this summer sometime in July or August as allways and I'll collect ya some

Those are some amazing pictures. You really have a knack for that. I have had my camera forever and still can't figure out the macro hee hee

Of course mactans, hesperus and variolus are rather agressive and will turn around and spray web at you or even try and bite so be careful.

Do you think that the above mentioned are aggressive? I found them to be skittish, (L.geometricus is by far more skittish imo), but never felt that they were aggressive.
My L.hesperus would "rush the lid" as I opened it, however, they always backed off once they were over their initial fright, (likely caused by the 10,000 vibrations sent through their web).

I would just like to say that these guys even the geometricus [lesser venom??] have the ability for an extended hospital stay and are NOT for beginners

I wholeheartedly agree with you on this one. When I received my shipment of L.bishopi from Glade, I was in the process of transferring them into their more permanent homes. One proceeded to crawl out onto my hand and shortly thereafter, I felt a prick on my hand. As I went to shoo her off my hand, it was only then that I noticed an eggsac in her container.
Nothing ever developed but it had me a bit concerned nonetheless.
Lesson learned......."eyes on the spider at all times."

Florida will be this summer sometime in July or August as allways and I'll collect ya some

You are quickly becoming my new hero! If you ever feel like doing some L.hesperus for L.mactans, let me know.
Talk to ya later John.

Those are some amazing pictures. You really have a knack for that. I have had my camera forever and still can't figure out the macro hee hee

Thanks. What kind of camera do you have? I have been seriously considering taking a class taught by Nikon because I don't know anything but the macro!

Welcome spiderfolk. Nice to have some blood of a different flavor here.

Welcome spiderfolk. Nice to have some blood of a different flavor here

Thanks Wes.
Nice forum. Nice people. Have really enjoyed being here. Perhaps some of my spider croonies will join me over here

Yes I do consider them agressive...skittish maybe...but the blacks will defend thier web more than the geometricus [which has a habit of falling out the web in a ball when disturbed]
The blacks will also more readily go for food in the web where geometricus seems to 'test the water a bit' before diving on that meal.

Adult females will lay infertile sacs if not bred.

but the blacks will defend thier web more than the geometricus [which has a habit of falling out the web in a ball when disturbed]

I will totally agree with you on this one. L. geometricus is very skittish.
I guess we will have to agree to disagree on the aggressiveness of the Blacks.
I tend to use the term defensive rather than aggressive and it has been my experience that the Black Widows are actually quite gentle and need a fair amount of provoking to deliver a bite.
Not that this should be tested though.
I used to handle them quite regularly during presentations, however, I decided to refrain from doing so as of late, to avoid sending mixed signals to the children and adults that frequent the shows.
My initial reason for handling them was to snuff out the typical myths associated with them such as them being aggressive.
I was afraid that my young audience members might follow suit and therefore, have since discontinued this practice.

used to handle them quite regularly during presentations, however, I decided to refrain from doing so as of late, to avoid sending mixed signals to the children and adults that frequent the shows.
My initial reason for handling them was to snuff out the typical myths associated with them such as them being aggressive.
I was afraid that my young audience members might follow suit and therefore, have since discontinued this practice.

That's a good idea to discontinue that practice...I will agree with you on the fact that out of the web they [blacks] can be rather un-agressive and almost curious. In the web they seem to be rather defensive and more apt to grab the food item or spray your finger with webbing...But yeah we will agree to disagree here..

Man I gotta admit it is rather nice seeing some new faces here that like bugs and such as much as me...of course I have my herps