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Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-DEF6D18D-9F19-4BE5-8894-E4B6735FAE1F Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Paul, The exuviae (empty exoskeletons) of spiders are often found where they have b= een hanging out. A spider will shed the exoskeleton - I think it is 9 times= - during its growth. The exuviae often look like a dead spider if you happ= en to find one soon after it has been shed. They tend to bleach out after a= few days. In my pbase galleries, there are a couple of photos of a Dolomed= es (Fishing Spider) found beneath a board soon after it had shed its exoskel= eton. The interesting thing was how the spider ran back to the exuviae when= it realized that it was being observed. It may have felt safer there. As y= ou will note from the photo, this spider was quite a bright almost-orange co= lour. The normal colour would be a dull brown. As is the case with many cr= eatures that shed their skins, a freshly shed spider tends to look a bit bri= ghter than normal. =20 http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/33269111 http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/33269112 A side note to this. Three years ago, I imported a conversion van from Flor= ida. While replacing the spare tire on the under-body carrier, I noticed we= irdly stretchy spider webbing that I immediately recognized as typical of a B= lack Widow spider. I found the spider inside the trailer hitch socket, behi= nd a plastic cover. The large female was inside the socket with several her= own exuviae and the dried bodies of numerous prey, so she had obviously bee= n in there awhile! She was now very large and was not a Black Widow, but in= stead a Brown Widow (Latrodectus geometricus). =20 Bev =20 Round Hill, N.S. in summer On 2012-08-22, at 9:31 AM, Paul MacDonald <paulrita2001@yahoo.com> wrote: > Hi All > This morning on the deck there was what looked like the > skeleton of a spider. The kind with the banded legs - they > are very plentiful around here just now and have webs set up > all over the place. Its legs are between 2 - 3 cms long. > My question is Do Spiders shed their outer skeleton as the age or > is it a dead spider I found and something has eaten the working parts? > Have a nice end to the summer > Paul >=20 --Apple-Mail-DEF6D18D-9F19-4BE5-8894-E4B6735FAE1F Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 <html><head></head><body bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF"><div>Paul,</div><div><br></div>= <div>The exuviae (empty exoskeletons) of spiders are often found where they h= ave been hanging out. A spider will shed the exoskeleton - I think it i= s 9 times - during its growth. The exuviae often look like a dead spid= er if you happen to find one soon after it has been shed. They tend to= bleach out after a few days. In my pbase galleries, there are a coupl= e of photos of a Dolomedes (Fishing Spider) found beneath a board soon after= it had shed its exoskeleton. The interesting thing was how the spider= ran back to the exuviae when it realized that it was being observed. = It may have felt safer there. As you will note from the photo, this sp= ider was quite a bright almost-orange colour. The normal colour would b= e a dull brown. As is the case with many creatures that shed their ski= ns, a freshly shed spider tends to look a bit brighter than normal. </= div><div><a href=3D"http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/33269111">http://ww= w.pbase.com/crocodile/image/33269111</a></div><div><a href=3D"http://www.pba= se.com/crocodile/image/33269112">http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/332691= 12</a></div><div>A side note to this. Three years ago, I imported a co= nversion van from Florida. While replacing the spare tire on the under= -body carrier, I noticed weirdly stretchy spider webbing that I immediately r= ecognized as typical of a Black Widow spider. I found the spider insid= e the trailer hitch socket, behind a plastic cover. The large female w= as inside the socket with several her own exuviae and the dried bodies of nu= merous prey, so she had obviously been in there awhile! She was now ve= ry large and was not a Black Widow, but instead a Brown Widow (<i style=3D"p= adding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px;= margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "= >Latrodectus geometricus). </i><br><br>Bev </div><div>Round Hill= , N.S. in summer</div><div><br></div><div><br>On 2012-08-22, at 9:31 A= M, Paul MacDonald <<a href=3D"mailto:paulrita2001@yahoo.com">paulrita2001= @yahoo.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><div></div><blockquote type=3D"cite">= <div><div style=3D"color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new r= oman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div>Hi All</div><div>This morn= ing on the deck there was what looked like the</div><div>skeleton of a spide= r. The kind with the banded legs - they</div><div>are very plentiful around h= ere just now and have webs set up</div><div>all over the place. Its legs are= between 2 - 3 cms long.</div><div>My question is Do Spiders shed their oute= r skeleton as the age or</div><div>is it a dead spider I found and something= has eaten the working parts?</div><div>Have a nice end to the summer</div><= div>Paul</div><div><br></div></div></div></blockquote></body></html>= --Apple-Mail-DEF6D18D-9F19-4BE5-8894-E4B6735FAE1F--
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