Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Web Sites and Spiders

It's Tuesdays and my web site is updated with the names of last weeks 152 species of wild flowers found in the Hamilton, Ontario area. There are also 5 new wild flower photos to look at and a few others on the Past Photos sections if you missed them or want to look again.

Meanwhile, Fleur-Ange and I are finding spiders in the meadows around our house.



This one, we think, is a Flower Crab Spider. If so, it can actually change colours to help match the flower it is on in a matter of a day or two according to what we read. (Of course I can't remember where I read it now. It was yesterday. Sigh!) Fleur-Ange found the spider on a Motherwort plant.



This second spider, I found in a Red Pine tree. It was fairly small.



OK, it was really small. I just accidently found it while looking for new pine cones. Here is a magnified look:



It appears to be in the "Sheet-web Weaver" family of spiders with about 2 200 other species in its family. If any one knows the species name of either spider, please pass it on. I've looked in various places, books and web sites, and have not had the time or patience to sort them out. (Oh the joys of dial up connections....)

3 comments:

Rurality said...

Cool! I had no idea that spiders could change colors.

Lené Gary said...

I have heard that each type of flower has its own insect. Is that true? Love the pictures! Great blog.

Ontario Wanderer said...

Rurality, I found the site re the spider:
http://www.zoo.org/educate/fact_sheets/spiders/crab.html
I had no idea that spiders could change colours either. One learns everyday and sees new things too if one pays attention.

Lene, Many flowers and insects have special relationships. Certain flowers will have certain insect visitors and certain insects will only visit certain flowers but one to one relationships are not a rule.