On this morning walk, the spider web is what caught my eye first. The funnel spider webs were most interesting to me on the thickness and where they put them. I wondered how spiders catch something when some have such visible webs. At least a lot of them are so visible to us. Then I thought a moment and remember how insects sometimes run head first into solid objects. Of course, I often am not looking where I am going and get a face full too. We are not so different from the insects. LOL.
Cup and sauce spider web!
This funnel spider’s web sunk down into the old stump. It was a wide funnel and rather thick I thought.
Funnel spider web in the coralberry
The Funnel spider in its web! I don’t catch them for a photo often. This one also had a Tapioca slime mold growing in its web.
Look carefully and you can see a spider and butterfly!
A close look reveals that it an emperor butterfly and the spider is dead.
A close up of the dead spider. The other spider was still further in the funnel. So maybe this was the male. In many species of spiders, the female will kill the male during or after mating.
Western Ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii) with a leafminer white “track”. Different insects nibble in different ways, but no I do not know which one left this one.
Egg casing on a gayfeather (Liatris mucronata)! I did not bring this one home.
Hard to see the moth, but it is one I commonly find in our woods.
Thin-lined Owlet (Isogona tenuis) close up!
Each time I see it, I’m amazed how the mushrooms can push out of the hard dry soil!
It seems that it has had a rough time with gills that were chewed on, but I bet the spores were being spread! You can also see that it has free gills. Meaning that they are not directly attached to the stem.
Good thought. I did find another exuvia in the web that was much smaller. The “dead” spider looked like it had meat to it. If the other spider didn’t kill it, maybe fungus or something like that got it??
Your find the critter puzzles are tough and fun. Thanks
I love all the shades of brown from slime moth to owlet moth!
I’m wondering if the dead spider might be a shed skin instead? Very cool finds!
Good thought. I did find another exuvia in the web that was much smaller. The “dead” spider looked like it had meat to it. If the other spider didn’t kill it, maybe fungus or something like that got it??
I just love how close up you get with your photos!
Kathy