Odd looking bugger in the garden

[RazorIX]

Interesting little fella - green spider with a red spot on its back approx 7-8mm in length. Could I hell get a front side shot (spent about 30 mins trying to do so) as I knocked the branch with the edge of the lens and he shot into some odd webbing structure and completely refused to come out. Hopefully he will be there tomorow and might be able to get a better shot.

Apologies for the quality but this is only my second outing with the macro lens and ext tubes so they were slightly underexposed.

Photo1 (http://www.xstorque.com/images/GreenSpider3.jpg) (280k)

Photo2 (http://www.xstorque.com/images/GreenSpider2.jpg) (330k)

edited:

Less noisy pic 1.

[xiphoid]

Still cool pictures, though!

[LordV]

Lovely pics-think this is one of the most colourful spiders found in the UK. It's an orb web spider Araniella curcubitina. You will find it nearby tomorrow :)
Brian V.

[chemicalbro]

nice shots.....
it doesn't look odd to me......... just a green spider :)
i really like how you can clearly see the spinnerets on the 2n'd shot

[RazorIX]

nice shots.....
it doesn't look odd to me......... just a green spider :)
i really like how you can clearly see the spinnerets on the 2n'd shot

Thanks for the comments all.

Chemicalbro - actually it was the first time I have saw this type of spider. I was prowling around the eges of the garden looking for something to take a shot at and then came to face to face with the above. Literally face to face as it was about 4 inches away from my nose so I involuntary jumped back. :oops:

On closer inspection I was slightly perturbed by the red spot but decided to take a few snaps anyway. Thanks to Brian giving a description of the above so I could check it out meaning I will not have wear to my kevlar body armour next time. ;)

[chemicalbro]

LOL in the UK there are NO spiders that can harm you (most won't even be able to pierce your skin with their fangs)

think about what the spider is thinking....... it's thinking "ARRRRRGGGGHHHHH a big huge predator staring at me and about to eat me......"

[dpastern]

LOL in the UK there are NO spiders that can harm you (most won't even be able to pierce your skin with their fangs)

think about what the spider is thinking....... it's thinking "ARRRRRGGGGHHHHH a big huge predator staring at me and about to eat me......"

Yup. Both of Alan's comments are right ;) Spiders don't look at humans going "mmm, Ed, tasty human coming this way, ready the web" lol. Very very very few spiders are openly aggressive to humans - a few that come to mind are:

1. Female Wolf spider with young that has been antagonised by said human
2. Female and Male Australian Funnel Web spiders (they are ultra aggressive).
3. Female and Male Australian Mouse Spider (closely related to the Funnel Web, just as deadly).

With 2 & 3, you don't want to piss them off ;)

Dave