[NatureNS] Spider shelters

From: David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com>
To: NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:14:28 -0400
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects


Dear All,                        Feb 22, 2013
    This winter I have seen many spider shelters attached to firewood that 
is stored in a covered tier outdoors. I don't recall having seen these 
previously. With need to use outdoors wood soon ending I took a few minutes 
to look.

    The typical shelter, composed of a faintly translucent web fabric is 15 
mm long, 9 mm wide and 6 m high. Many don't make it through the winter. On 
one xylem surface of split Populus there are 21 shelters or remains of 
shelters; 13 of these empty, with a dead exposed spider or missing and 8 
intact with spider (perhaps live) inside. Legs are long relative to 
cephalothorax dimensions; front leg 11 mm long, cephalothorax 3.5 mm long, 
1.5 mm wide. These are somewhat dried dimensions of a dead spider; attracted 
to a plastic ruler by static charge.

    Does any of this ring a bell ? Will take some photos if/when I have 
time.

Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects