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Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Flower Spiders love Orchids

HAVING SEEN HOW SLOW MY BLOG IS TO DOWNLOAD ON A FRIEND'S COMPUTER (EVEN THOUGH HE IS ON BROADBAND) I HAVE DECIDED TO UPLOAD IMAGES AT MUCH LOWER COMPRESSION, BUT STILL AT THE STANDARD SIZES I HAVE BEEN USING FOR A LONG TIME, WHICH IS 1000 PIXELS WIDE, OR 600 PIXELS FOR SMALLER IMAGES. THE FILE SIZES WILL BE ABOUT 100 Kb.

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On Sunday, when out with the Illawarra Branch of the Australasian Native Orchid Society, I twice saw specimens of the Pink Flower Spider Diaea evanida.

The first was sitting very boldly on a lovely specimen of a white form of Diuris punctata, the Purple Donkey Orchid.
Here she is, front on.
Much later in the day, we found one sitting, with bee it had captured.
It was on a specimen of the Kangaloon Sun Orchid, at Butler's Swamp. I did not see it on the flower, but someone brought the spider, complete with its "lunch", for the group to admire.
The Spider (still with its prey) was put back on the plant.

5 comments:

Junior Lepid said...

Hello Denis,

(Explanation over at Fungi..!)

The Flower Spiders are such little characters, aren't they! I will have to keep an eye open for some to make an appearance here. They are probably out and about, but I've missed them.

Mosura said...

Nice find! Seems larger than the flower spiders I've come across.

Denis Wilson said...

Hi JL and Mosura
I find Flower Spiders great, as they love Orchids, because they know that insects love Orchids too.
Alan, I agree some Flower Spiders are much smaller, and hide within flowers.
This one is closer to a "crab Spider" in design, and has a long reach. It is obviously a "lurker" and a "pouncer".
It surely did not want to give up its "lunch" though. Very single minded.
The Insect and Spider sites are full of similar images of them trapping fairly serious insects.
Cheers
Denis

singapore florist said...

is flower spider dangerous for human? love the color anyway.

Denis Wilson said...

Hi Singapore Florist.
Most Australian "Flower Spiders" are quite small and are insect specialists. It never occurred to me that they might be dangerous to humans. In this case it was so busy sucking the life out of the insect that it was not interested in biting my hand.
They are commonly found in the flower heads of native Orchids. Many species.
Cheers
Denis