Banana Spider Mating Season

Posted by Eric Fry (Houston, TX, United States) on 30 July 2008 in Animal & Insect and Portfolio.

Usually, only the larger female is seen on the webs, but this morning, every web also had the smaller male on it. It looks to be another bumper crop of Banana Spiders...I'm not very happy with the focus and detail in this shot, but I did like the composition and the highlights on the spider's legs and web. Taken at East End Park, Kingwood, TX.

More information on Nephila clavipes can be found here.

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you all have a great day,
Eric

Check out the photography of a friend of mine outside of Aminus3:
Brian Dykes' Blue Echoes Photography - Beautiful nature and city images from the guy that turned me on to Adobe Lightroom

vfxy Photoblogs

Comments (9)

Monique from Koh Samui, Thailand

Seems to be the same spider we have got in our mango trees, only the male looks a lot bigger. She's making a mess of her cobweb ;) The light fall is great in the picture and there legs are almost translucent, nice overall colors!

30 Jul 2008 5:54am

@Monique: Thanks for the compliment, Monique! From what I can tell, our Golden Orb spiders are in the same genus, Nephila. The legs do seem translucent, especially in any kind of back lighting.

Stephen Phillips from San Francisco, United States

Yikes! You're going to get lots of those - so, Yikes, again!

30 Jul 2008 6:23am

@Stephen Phillips: Yep, we always have lots of them this time of year, Stephen. Once they get fully grown in late August, I'll try and get a good photo of one on my hand or something...

Observing from West Cheshire, United Kingdom

Nice strong colors Eric, and the compo and contrast are very good too.

30 Jul 2008 6:26am

@Observing: Thank you very much, Mike! I've really been enjoying your photos lately. Sorry I haven't commented, but I can barely keep up with responding and leaving a few comments here and there.

Take care, mate!

linerberry from New Zealand

OK, from a lover of photography point of view....amazing, the colours, the way you have captured the light on the subject, the composition, just stunning!!
From a "spiders are not my fav creatures" point of view....eewwwww horrible things, thanks for the fear factor:-))))

30 Jul 2008 7:03am

@linerberry: Hahahaaa...Thanks, Liner! I really liked the composition and lighting, too.

I'll try and find a photo showing the back of the thorax of one, it looks a bit like a skull!

dj.tigersprout from San Bruno, United States

wow -- she is soo big! are these spiders very aggressive? do they bite? i am usually not afraid of most spiders -- but i could see how i would have a certain type of aversion to these ones here! especially since they are so big! :) wonderful shot -- i don't mind the soft focus -- the message gets through loud and clear!

30 Jul 2008 8:21am

@dj.tigersprout: Thanks, for the great comment, DJ. These spiders are pretty calm around people. They sometimes bite humans if they're being pinched, but the venom is fairly mild.

These are actually very interesting spiders to look at and photograph. But when you're walking down a trail and walk right into a web, finding one of these on your face is quite unnerving!

Monique from Netherlands

Beautiful to see how the light shines through the legs! Big spiders,,brrr
Fantastic to see two spiders in this web, great capture!

30 Jul 2008 10:40am

@Monique: Thank you very much, Monique!

willow from Chelsea, United States

The colors are great and I like the detail on the bigger spider's body and legs. Thanks for your reply to my question yesterday. I would say that you're probably right - I am becoming more discriminating in when I push the shutter button and, therefore, I'm getting a higher percentage of good shots. I still find that the "great" shots are few and far between, though. I guess that's why we keep shooting, right? And that's the fun part!

30 Jul 2008 1:52pm

Ana Lúcia from Leiria, Portugal

Wonderful moment captured here. Great shot. Looks scary and dangerous.

30 Jul 2008 2:59pm

Earnest from Oklahoma, United States

Really creepy, Eric... and a brilliant photo. (I should be used to these guys riding around on my shoulder but I never quite get used to it.)

31 Jul 2008 12:50pm

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Nikon COOLPIX P5100
1/60 second
F/3.1
ISO 165
47 mm (35mm equiv.)