Sharing a Shower with a Pseudoscorpion

After a long night of both dusk and dawn bat surveys, being home and about to hop in a hot shower was just what I had been wanting.  I had not long put down my prescription glasses when I noticed a dark speck on the white grouting between the tiles that make up the walls…

The Entomological Society of New Zealand’s Photo Competition: ‘Wonder of the Insect World’

Tom and I recently entered a photography competition put on by the Entomological Society of New Zealand. A family friend of ours, knowing our love for wildlife photography, saw it advertised in the local paper and gave us the article. It was only a couple of days before the closing date, so we both chose two…

The Real Shelob – A Freshly Moulted Tunnelweb Spider

Our Encounter Whilst out on bird counts in Pohangina (Manawatu, New Zealand), Emma and I stumbled across a dead tree which was still standing. Being curious ecologists, we peeled back a large piece of bark. Behind the bark was this wonderful tunnelweb spider. Click to zoom in It had just moulted, displaying its cream cephalothorax…

The Silver Orb Spider (Leucauge dromedaria)

Click to zoom in Much like our previous spider post, the spider under the spotlight today (Leucauge dromedaria) is an Australian import that we found on one of our bush walks here in New Zealand. Its common names are ‘Horizontal Orbweb Spider’, ‘Silver Orb Spider’ and ‘Humped Silver Orb Spider’. The first described specimen was misidentified…

Move Over Lucas – Meet the Polkadot Jumping Spider

My Great Uncle, Peter, kindly gifted me a new flash unit as a Christmas present. Despite being desperate to use it, we have been so busy with fieldwork and house renovations that now, several months later, I have only just managed to have my first real play. Meeting the Polkadot Jumping Spider During some downtime…

Tramping in the Kaweka & Kaimanawa Forest Parks, New Zealand

I recently accompanied Emma’s father (Stewart), his friend (David), and David’s avian aversion certified Labrador (Sika) on a four day/three night tramp (AKA ‘hike’ for those not familiar with the New Zealand lingo). Click on any of the photos in this post to get a closer look. Note: Only registered, avian aversion certified hunting dogs, Guide…

Another Ant… or is it? Mimicry in the Bornean Jungle

Trekking Through the Jungle As you are tramping through the jungle, you see all sorts of amazing creatures. Every now and then, though, you see something that really takes you by surprise. This little ‘insect’ was definitely the surprise on this occasion. Click to zoom in The Ant on the Leaf As I was brushing…

A Bornean Tarantula with Iridescent Teal ‘Toes’

TARANTULA ONE The Tarantula’s Tree In Borneo, between the Danau Girang Field Centre and the jetty stands a tree. To look at it you wouldn’t think of it as being any more worthy of attention than any of the other thousands of trees in the rainforest. However, this tree is the home of a rather…