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~”

  2. Don’t like the sound of the Tarantula Hawk – cruel things! I always enjoy learning new facts about everything though. Thank you Cindy. Excellent photos too! Cheers. xx

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  3. I ma not such a fan of Tarantulas, I prefer your other amazing pictures. Still you are briliant you took such a close up of the spider.
    I shall relax under the palmtrees of your other photos. 🙂

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  7. Thanks for the education Cindy. I’ve never seen either a tarantula or tarantula hawk in person. We have brown recluse spiders whose bite can eat away your skin. I’m glad they were playing nice with you.

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    1. Thanks Alison. So wish I have my other cam. The photos would have been much better. I have never been to close to a tarantula hawk for so long. He was quite relaxed and so was I დ

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  12. Patty Moore

    Beautiful, fascinating, and interesting as always.  Aaron ran inside a couple weeks ago, telling us to hurry and see what was outside.  It was a huge paralyzed spider being dragged along our sidewalk by a bee of some sort.  We watched the bee try to try to pull the spider into an opening in our bricks that line our flower bed.  Then he pulled the spider up onto our porch, and after a long time – after we had gone inside – they both disappeared.  It was a very interesting thing to see, though pretty horrifying, too.  Such is nature!  I always enjoy your blogs, Cindy.  The tarantula reminds me of our three years in Arizona, by the way.  

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    1. Aaron sounds very observant and perceptive. I would have loved to take photos of this and to meet you and Aaron. Thank you for your thoughtful words and stay safe and well, all of you. Give Aaron my best დ

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    1. They are placid spiders. They freeze when you see them or play dead. All they want is for you to go away, so they can run away. They are so rare in most places in California now. I am happy when I see one here. New Mexico has so many spiders. I don’t know if they are the state arachnid but the thought makes me smile დ

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    1. Robbie Cheadle

      Hi Cindy, great pictures. I enjoy learning g about spiders, they are fascinating creatures. Tarantula Hawks sound a bit scary but that is natures way.

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  22. Those sunset photos! I love how you captured such vivid colours. I am never able to do it, and I admire those who can.

    The spider & insect photos are incredible, although they do make me squeamish…

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  25. I think my grands may have pet a Tarantula – there is a bug guy at a local farmers market their mom goes to. Have you ever seen a Wheel Bug? Looks like something from a Steam Punk Movie 🙂

    I’ve been bit by a ‘No-see-um’ I can’t even tell you what it was! I need to be careful around biters! Stay safe!!

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    1. I had never seen a wheel bug, until your comment prompted me to google. What a truly odd looking critter. It does look steam punky!!! Take good care Jules & cheers დ

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      1. Nature is amazing!! I only learned about the wheel but a couple of years ago when I found it in my yard and researched it and found out that it likes to eat Spotted Lantern Flies… Hopefully you haven’t seen that bug!

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  28. I was wondering why I hadn’t seen a post from you in a while…turns out Gmail put your notification into my Spam folder. WHAT THE HECK, Gmail??? Grrr.

    This is so amazing! I have a horrid fascination with parasitic insects and their prey. Thank you for introducing me to this new-to-me info! 💕

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  29. Pardon for my being so slow to the party. Haven’t exactly been having fun, but here I am in full appreciation mode. Think you are a tad early for Halloween, but you filled the bill, less you have something even more scary than this.

    Spiders I’m kind of friendly with, but these do put me to the test. Wasps, also no thank you. Too cold here perhaps.

    NOVA just did an episode on the evolution of our earthly Sky. These would fit beautifully in that history, especially that first at best magnification seems quite rightly neighborly, but not too close. Like mama bear, just right.

    Always always wonderful job you do. Thank you Cindy.

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  30. Wow! Loved seeing the close-ups of the tarantula and tarantula hawk spider wasp, Cindy. Amazing and interesting creatures but fun to look at from a distance…whew! Beautiful photos of SoCal, too, and much appreciated.

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  32. One of my most vivid memories of growing up in Texas was a summer day when our back yard was full of tarantulas hopping across as they made their way from Mexico to wherever they were going. Scared me to death!!
    I’m so glad to see your posts – I had wondered where you were, and for some reason they removed me from your followers?
    Hope all is well.

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  36. Once upon a time Cindy I was terrified of spiders… I couldn’t stay in the same room as one But I conquered my fear and can now happily catch them and put them back outside in nature again..

    As a gardener… we obviously come across many spiders and insects… I find myself apologising for ruining their webs or habitats… When you watch how a spider spins her web… We couldn’t even begin to create such beauty…

    Great Photo’s Cindy, I love those skies xxx xx Thank you xx

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  41. All are such beautiful photos!!! What a terrible thing for a tarantula to experience, being the victim of a Tarantula Hawk: terribly hurt; paralyzed; dehydrated; starving; then eaten alive! So sad. Where are we

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  44. Dear Cindy
    Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma loved the two tarantula pictures, it gave them a thrill. Fortunately we don’t have such spiders here.
    Thanks for showing
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Reply

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