Today started with the raccoon family and then off to Edward Medard Nature Preserve. We did not expect much at Medard Preserver - as the forest ranger said there is no nature trail (but the county web site says there is) - He said that probably the best was frisbee golf trail - so off we went. We were pleasantly surprised - as we found much more diversity among the spiders and insects than we had found at other preserves with nature trails.
Here is Susan (girl) and one of her brothers. You can tell the girl because her back mask does not connect with her nasal passage - her mask terminates with a white / gray reagon and a lighter colored nasal passage. Here she is on the left and a brother on the right)
Then her 3 brothers came - she is on the right and 3 brothers on the left of the photos
Alert and drinking water
Here she is drinking water - sompare the nasal region with her brother on the left of the photo
Drinking
Drinking
Here she is in the background
May 22, 2016 Diversity at Edward Medard Park
Basilica spider
Two mating coton stainers
Roots
Unknown to frank -
Unknown to frank -
Leucauge venusta
Leucauge venusta web
Nephila clavipes
Lateral view of Nephila clavipes and web
Lateral view of Nephila clavipes and web
Basilica spider and her hat-shaped dome web
Leucauge venusta
Horizontal web of Leucauge venusta
Horizontal web of Leucauge venusta
Leucauge venusta weaving her horizontal web
Leucauge venusta weaving her horizontal web
Some type of berry
Some sort of flying insect
A flying insect with transparent wings
Lateral view of a flying insect with transparent wings
A green tree frog
A green tree frog
Eye of a green tree frog
Pincer but or Earwig
Pincer but or Earwig
Eye of green dragonfly
Face of green ddragonfly
Eye of green dragonfly
Brown insect - perhaps an assassin bug
Brown insect - perhaps an assassin bug
Juvenile Argiope sp with elliptical sawtooth stabilimenta
Juvenile Argiope sp with elliptical sawtooth stabilimenta
Juvenile Argiope sp with elliptical sawtooth stabilimenta
Juvenile Argiope sp with elliptical sawtooth stabilimenta
Leucuage venusta
Wet web
Wet web
Unknown spider
Face of an unknown insect
Face of an unknown insect
Maybe a shield bug
A ladybug
Views of the interesting stabilimenta
Stabilimenta
C. Frank Starmer