Photo Essays

April 20, 2008: Return to Miagrammopes

Walking back from church this morning, I was thinking about the pieces in the Straits Times. The first was "Web of Curiosity" and the 2nd was about the limitations of the laws of physics. I am feeling a sort of pattern of curiosity-related newspaper pieces - with the next being The Road to Innovation is paved with Curiosity. As I was thinking I was walking over Qweensway. I thought, that this would be a good time to capture something about ordinary eyes and curious eyes. Here is the view

apr 20 3319 queensway walkover

Another view

apr 20 3320 queensway walkover

As I was walking down the steps on the far side, I saw a small small spider in the space between the roof (new) and then handrail. Here she is: a small Nephila

apr 20 3321 look no spider

Another view

apr 20 3322 nephila qw walkover

Yet another view. She was abut 1 cm in total length

apr 20 3323 qw nephila

apr 20 3338 qw nephila

I went to Far East Flora to buy an orchid for Ellen and one for home. I found my Miagrammopes from yesterday

apr 20 3340 miagrammopes silk ball

and an unknown spider. After a bit of searching, she appears similar to a tarantula, Phlogiellus, known to hide in leaves in Singapore.

apr 20 3342 unk

Here she is escaping. First climbing from the underside of the leaf. Here, she is distinctively hairy, a characteristic of tarantulas.

apr 20 3345 unk escape

Here is a better view - leaving by the back door. Here her external appearance appears consistent with Phlogiellus

apr 20 3347 unk escape

So I returned to my little Miagrammopes

apr 20 3356 tensioning

Here she is tensioning the strand that runs from left to right. She uses her 1st legs to pull the strand together, and her 2nd legs to manage the slack silk, making a small ball of silk.

apr 20 3359 tensioning spread

Here she is sort of resting. You can see the silk strand to the left, a short segment between her 1st and 2nd legs and then the strand exiting from her 4th legs.

apr 20 3367 sustain tension