Gary J Sibio
Funnel Web Spider Sitting on a Web in a Bush (2008-08-13 16-05-42a)
Funnel Web Spider – Order Araneae : Family Agelenidae : Genus Agelenopsis
These spiders, also known as American Grass Spiders, are not as dangerous to humans as the funnel web spiders of Australia are. Wikipedia lists 13 different species in the genus. All spiders are venomous but, unless you have an allergy to them, a bite from one of these guys is not a big deal. Their name comes from the funnel-like shape of their webs. These webs are not sticky like other webs are. These spiders are about 20mm in length.
The photo was taken in Chicago, Illinois. The spider had built its web in a bush. I managed to get a couple of photos before the spider disappeared to the back of the web, out of sight.
I used a Panasonic DMC-FZ50 camera with a Canon 500D (+2 diopter) multi-element close-up lens. Editing was done using ACDSee Ultimate 2019. I adjusted the Light EQ and increased the clarity and vibrance. Then I adjusted the levels.
Photo © 2008 Gary J. Sibio. All rights reserved.
#nature #animals #arachnids #spiders #invertebrates #webs #spiderwebs #macro #Chicago #Illinois #ACDSee
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Are you afraid of spiders?
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Yes
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No
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Beautiful photo! ?
I’m not afraid of spiders for being spiders, I’m afraid of most creatures including spiders. I fear I might hurt or annoy them… ? As much as they hurt or annoy me. ?
Other than to photograph them, I’d prefer to let them do their thing which includes keeping pests under control.
That’s true. Spiders are usually ‘very good people’, so to speak. ?
I’m not afraid of spiders but I love them only in pictures! Great photo!
🙂 I find them fascinating. Some are very beautiful.
I’m with Carol. I’m not afraid of spiders in general but I am afraid of black widows or other poisonous spiders.
Yeah, I wouldn’t mess with a Black Widow Spider. They’re not as dangerous as the Brown Recluse but they can still get you a trip to the emergency room. I’ve seen videos of people letting Black Widows crawl on their hands. They don’t bite except in defense but I’m not willing to push my luck.
What a fantastic photo Gary. I love seeing spiders. I don’t like to touch them or have them crawl on me, but I love photographing them. Excellent photo.
Thanks, Carol. I don’t mind them on me if I know that they are there. I’ve held a couple of tarantulas.