Along Came A Spider~

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life

Who sat down beside her.

Tarantulas measure around five inches in length, eleven inches if accurately measured. See:

https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Tarantulas#:~:text=Adult%20tarantulas%20average%20five%20inches,weight%E2%80%94more%20than%206%20ounces.)

And she frightened (click/tap to enlarge photos).

Mr. Tarantula away.

Tarantula Hawks sting large tarantulas to the point of paralysis, and lay their eggs on them, which then feed on the paralyzed tarantula until it dies. Tarantula hawks have the second most painful insect sting in the world. This is the closest I have ever gotten to one even though they are here all the time. I happened to be sitting next to this one as it peacefully gathered pollen. Unfortunately I didn’t have my full zoom camera or there would be more up close detail.

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-most-painful-wasp-sting-in-the-world-explained.html#:~:text=’Number%20two%20is%20broadly%20comparable,that%20of%20a%20velvet%20ant.

Reflecting pool Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage.

Sunnylands Garden Rancho Mirage.

Cheers to you,

from The Holler~

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241 thoughts on “Along Came A Spider~”

  1. Anonymous

    Beautiful photos, as usual. I’m seeing tarantulas around at the moment – a couple of little ones in the house! Happily, they’re very slow moving and easy to remove to the outdoors. I worry a lot more about the wasps, which I found were quite aggressive, literally chasing me when I was outdoors. I only learned about how painful the sting was last year.

    Reply

    1. We are getting alot of tarantula hawks here now too. It is tarantula mating season so this makes sense. The hawks can be quite aggressive. I use the elliptical outside and they seeme annoyed by this and buzz me. Definitely gets my full attention too დ

      Reply

  2. That is one nasty looking beastie! For that to kill a tarantula? And you just happened to be sitting next to it, peacefully collecting pollen.. Whoa.
    Beautiful photos, though (zoom or not!)

    The sky is on fire!

    Reply

    1. Thank you Dale and I agree with you. Tarantula Hawks are not to be trifled with. They usually seem really annoyed too, although this one was peacefully collecting pollen დ

      Reply

  11. That is a seriously impressive spider. We have spiders in numbers here in Norfolk at present, but although some of them are large by the standards of English spiders none are anything close to the size of that.

    Reply
  13. Timothy Price

    Beautiful photos. I love tarantulas. I see tarantula Hawks in the valley, but I’ve never seen a tarantula in the valley. We have lots of tarantulas on the mesas.

    Reply

    1. I like them too. They are peaceful creatures. When I was growing up, my parent’s best friend was a professor of entomology. He introduced me to so many wild insects and reptiles which created a lifelong interest in them დ

      Reply

  15. Very beautiful photos as always, Cindy! You were much closer to these creatures than I would be… The landscape photos are fantastic! 🥰

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    2. They are wonderful: I especially like how you captured the contrasts, the would-be-hunter that is the prey… The water in the reflecting pool, and the desert… The red of the sunset vs the yellows and greens of the desert. Delightful contrasts that highlight the individuals!

      Reply
  24. Anonymous

    Some intense colors in that Tarantula Hawk Cindy, from those fiery wings to the underneath of almost a royal blue. Somehow I don’t think they want to be missed. And love your sunsets, your place of the Holler has so many amazing secrets, I have no doubt you suffer so much in wandering such a world 🤣❤️🙏

    Reply

    1. Oops, I’m anonymous, I forgot to sign in first. It’s Mark Lanesbury. I’ve moved to a new host and a nice fresh load of WordPress…and the ‘system’ is still working like a Tarantula stung by a Tarantula hawk 🤣❤️🙏

      Reply

  26. I almost bypassed this post because of my lack of fondness for spiders. We have tarantulas up here too. More when I lived about 20 miles south and higher elevation. Fortunately, my dog, who is long since gone was smart enough to know not to mess with them. She also gave skunks a wide berth. I’ve never been close enough to any of those things to get such fantastic photos. Very impressive. The sunset? is stunning.

    Reply

  29. What a gorgeous tarantula, so furry and cuddly looking, these critters have such magnificent presence, don’t they? But as impressive as they are, I definitely don’t want to be surprised by one. And those beautiful sunsets! Brilliant photos, Cindy, as allways. Warm regards, Susan

    Reply

    1. Yes, similar to my experienc. I used to see them all the time as a kid. Then I never saw them again until we moved to The Holler where there are vast open spaces. They are visible this time of year because it is mating season 🕷️

      Reply

  35. Those are some crazy insects, Cindy. Whew!
    Great shots! What ever we think about insects, freaked out, grossed out…. whatever, without them we have no world.
    Nice post! ❦❦

    Reply
  41. Anonymous

    I have been in the presence of both tarantulas and tarantula hawks. I paid much closer attention to the hawk. That is a very impressive wasp.

    Reply

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