A walk to my spider observatory - and a surprise, a group from the Nature Photographic society (Singapore) was there enjoying what I enjoy each week.
The female argyrodes
The female (lower left) and male (upper right)
It is unusual for me to see the dragline silk of Argyrodes but today was an exception. Dragline silk everywhere
Here she is manipulating some dragline segments
The male is making his approach (though slightly out of focus - not in the same focal plane as the female
He continues and she appears interested
Now they are playing tug-a-war - with a strand of hostess web silk
They start the mating game with a toch of his front leg
She is now having 2nd thoughts
And says now - so he makes a hasty retreat
To his safe corner of the web
But wait - now she is the target of a wasp looking for dinner
Another view
And he looks from a different place
While a grasshopper watches
Wow, check out the huge muscle of the nind leg
Another view
And all this observed by this fly
Another view
And the fly turns a bit - looking at me and then leaves
C. Frank Starmer