Journal

A Beautiful Piece of Shit

on
15 January 2011
Please pardon the crude title, but today’s main subject is as aptly described. There are several variants of the Bird-Dropping Spider (Pasilobus sp) and I used to think that each would get uglier and shittier than the next — until I saw this variant with a vibrant gold abdomen and a reddish-brown head.

The Bird Dropping Spider was spotted early in the morning at 6:30am when it was still pitch dark. It was my first time witnessing a Bird-Dropping Spider in such an active state, busy dismantling it’s web as the sun began to rise, after a busy night’s work. It then returned to the surface of a leaf, resuming what it does best – looking like crap. lol

Bird Dung Spider (Pasilobus sp.) - DSC_1956#1 Some called it a peanut. It really was supposed to look like some bird dropping, no? It had just returned from dismantling it’s web, and still moving around actively. This is a view from behind.

Bird Dung Spider (Pasilobus sp.) - DSC_1817#2 A view from the top. By now, it had already settled down on a freshly grown leaf and getting busy with some breakfast.

Bird Dung Spider (Pasilobus sp.) - DSC_1824#3 Going lower to have a closer look at it’s hungry face

Bird Dung Spider (Pasilobus sp.) - DSC_1836#4 It was spinning it’s food round and round, taking little nibbles each time.

Bird Dung Spider (Pasilobus sp.) - DSC_1877#5 Finally done with breakfast and baring it’s mandibles at me! Indeed, this is the prettiest looking shit-look-alike spider I’ve seen.

Next, was a tiny Jumping Spider (Salticidae) with a neat brown furry body and the usual cute curious eyes.

Jumping Spider (Salticidae) - DSC_1891#6 Looks up to the sky in the morning sun

Jumping Spider (Salticidae) - DSC_1908#7 Staring into my camera, trying to figure out some things in life (to no avail)

Jumping Spider (Salticidae) - DSC_1911#8 Pretty active fellow, kept running up and down the leaf

Jumping Spider (Salticidae) - DSC_1912#9 And looking up into the sky again. Jumping spiders really do look around a lot, observing it’s surroundings.

Lynx Spider (Oxyopidae) - DSC_1930#10 An extremely skittish spider, which we call the Monkey-Face Spider (not the actual name). Took just a few shots before it jumped away. What’s the exact ID anyway?

Next shots show a really bizarre scenario where 2 different species of millipedes found each other and attempted to make out. I had always wondered how insects and bugs managed to mate with the exact same species. Today I found that they could be wrong at times. Don’t ask me what their children would look like….!

Millipedes wrong mating pair! (Diplopoda) - DSC_1936#11 The male Yellow Spotted Millipede (Harpaphe haydeniana) starts to mount the much larger red millipede (ID?). Love is blind. lol

Millipedes wrong mating pair! (Diplopoda) - DSC_1933#12 Success!! The female doesn’t seem too happy and didn’t stop like the other female millipedes when a male mounts on top of them.


The complete album can be viewed here.
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2 Comments
  1. Reply

    James K

    18 January 2011

    The salticid is just too cute man, I always love it when they look up at the sky. Interesting millipede behavior, not even in the same order I think. Maybe you can add it to the millipede group http://www.flickr.com/groups/myriapoda/ for their records?

  2. Reply

    Nicky Bay

    21 January 2011

    Thanks James~ all the big-eyed spiders are probably as cute, except for the ogre face net-casting spider.. haha. Heard that it's spotted in Venus Drive, gotta look for it!

    Will check out the millipede group. The 2 of them were probably just messing around, the female was struggling to get rid of the male. 😛 Still a funny sight though!

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NICKY BAY
Singapore

Hi my name is Nicky Bay. I am a macro photographer, instructor and book author, travelling the world to document the vast micro biodiversity that nature has to offer. Follow my updates and discover with me the incredible beauty and science behind our planet's micro creatures!

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