Monster Spider

Action_Man wrote:
I think it is a relative of the European House Spider but a lot more aggressive, its probably a Hobo Spider ...

http://www.pestcontrol​mag.com …articleDetail.j​sp?id=2616

That's not good, Action_Man, the article says their bite is as bad as a brown recluse's. Yikes, somebody please tell me this was just a big harmless spidy. Please...

Beautiful captures and a beautiful subject as well! Love them!

awesome!!! great shot! i dont know much about hobo spiders, but this could be a wolf spider.

Not a wolf spider...this comes up on here quite a bit for some reason. I guess they sort of look similar. Anyway, it's just a grass spider in the funnel web family. (not the famous Aussie funnel webs) This one is not poisonous to humans, so no worries!

This isn't the best picture of one (your's is much better!) but it's factual info about this species:
http://www.enature.com …gfromWhere=&cur​PageNum=18

BTW, very nice pics Bea!

dazzlebea wrote:
Wow, thanks Dave! If this one was a juvie I don't want to see him when he is grown up. But I think you misunderstood: the body is about 1/2 inch, from toe to toe he was somewhere between 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches, depending on how stretched out it was. It was freaky, I can't believe I was that crazy

No, I understood you, the body is half an inch. Tis a small spider.

Dave

Thank you all for your nice comments and help trying to ID this guy!
I have to tell you, going to bed last night was interesting. I had released the spider in the far corner of my backyard and all of a sudden, as I was closing my eyes, my yard seemed very small

scary and excellent !

Mike Bell wrote:
1/2 inch!! ............... I'd want more than a 'spouse with a stick' to protect me from that! I'd want Clint Eastwood with a Colt 45 in each hand!

hahahahahah

very nice shots bea... i find it really amazing that people with arachnaphobia can still take macro shots of them.....

i personally am fascinated by spiders and it's hard enough trying to concentrate on taking the shot, nevermind overcoming fear whilst doing it
it looks like a wolf spider to me also (can usually tell a lot about a spider by it's eye arrangement,.,,,, Big eyes on front usually means it's an active predator..... ie it stalks and hunts down its prey rather than using a web)
nice work

Oh my Bea - you brave girl! The photos are EXCELLENT,but I must say he makes me queasy just looking at him. And the thought of him in bakeware is kinda yucky.

I am not sure I'm going to keep up with you anymore.

Nice one Bea, but 1/2" is still a weeny!

The body length on this one is more than 6cm:
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=107191
Here's the missus holding a tape on one of the leaves where I'd released it:
http://bigal-sa.smugmug.com/photos/​42283203-M.jpg

Good portrait of the spider!
The colros are great and the picture is very sharp, but the BG is in the same shade of the spider and that is a bit of a problem in this picture

dazzlebea wrote:
Thank you Brian and cgratti

This spider was really big, a lot bigger than a quarter from "toe to toe". The body was at least 1/2 an inch!

Half an inch?!? That is TINY! Maybe you meant 2/1 inch? Anyway, good shots Too bad that they have "red eye".

Omri Alon wrote:
Half an inch?!? That is TINY! Maybe you meant 2/1 inch? Anyway, good shots Too bad that they have "red eye".

Half an inch may not be big to you but it is huge for me. Add to that the legs and you will get the biggest spider I will ever take pictures of.

the eyes are sooo cool great shot BTW