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Crab Season, Part I

As is usual for August here in Virginia, the crab spiders are out in abundance. Here’s a beautiful specimen, found at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. The last photo has two additional visitors! All photos taken with my Canon 5dII, Canon mpe-65, and mt-24 ex flash.

See the caterpillar, and much smaller crab spider up top?

Tags: 5d mark II, crab spider, macro, mp-e 65, mt-24 ex, norfolk botanical gardens, spider, thomisidae

White Crab Spider

Finally had a rewarding day of photography. This year has been depressingly bad for spiders. This crab spider was seen at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. All photos taken with my Canon 5dII, Canon mpe-65, and mt-24 ex flash. I spent a good deal of time last weekend working on the flash diffusers, and I am very pleased with the result.

Click for a larger view.

This is a focus stack of two images.

And as a bonus, a carpenter bee.

Tags: 5d mark II, crab spider, macro, mp-e 65, mt-24 ex, Norfolk, norfolk botanical gardens, spider, thomisidae

Salticid in a Lilly

This beautiful little Paraphiddipus was hunting flies in a lilly at the Chesapeake Arboretum. She posed for a while before continuing her hunt. All photos taken with my Canon 5dii, mpe-65, and mt-24 ex.

Tags: 5d mark II, Chesapeake, jumping spider, macro, mp-e 65, mt-24 ex, Paraphiddipus, spider

A Little May Salticid

So far this has been a frustrating year for finding Salticids. This is the first one I’ve seen in weeks. She was quite friendly and energetic which is a good sign. Taken at the Chesapeake Arboretum with my Canon 5dii, mp-e 65, and mt-24 ex.

Tags: 5d mark II, Chesapeake, jumping spider, macro, mt-24 ex

First Salticid of 2014!

We had some great weather this weekend — good enough that I decided to meed my dad at the Chesapeake Arboretum. It was quite windy so finding spiders on plants wasn’t very likely. Instead I just went to my favorite spot, a huge mulch pile in the parking lot. I’ve seen all kinds of interesting things on this pile — snakes, frogs, centipedes, and of course spiders.

I happened to see my favorite jumping spider, a male Habronattus coecatus. I’ve only ever seen them at this location, and specifically on this mulch pile. What a lucky day.