Mecynogea lemniscata, Basilica Orb Weaver, ventral view. This beautiful and harmless (if you're not a tiny arthropod) spider likes to build its web inside open shrubbery (as opposed to dense shrubbery). In this case, it has strung its web between two holly bushes. That leaves the animal exposed to predators, but it is protected by being very small, <1cm from tip of hind leg to tip of front leg, and is nicely camouflaged when viewed at a distance. It also remains very still until prey is caught in its web, then it moves with amazing speed. Look at the web on the right side and notice the tiny bits of debris in the web. Each piece is the dried remains of a bit of prey that the spider has dispatched. Notice the bit of web that is shaped like a church steeple at the 4:00 position. The top part was a rectangle like the other segments until a small arthropod became trapped and struggled to escape. The struggle resulted in the twisting of the web, more firmly entangling the prey. This animal is extremely sensitive to motion in the web, and seems to be able to distinguish between wind, which moves the entire web more-or-less uniformly, and localized motion as when prey is struggling to escape. Note the fine cilia on the animal's hindmost legs. They assist in detecting motion of the web. There is a second web of this species behind this one, visible in the out-of-focus circles and lines. The following photo shows the occupant of that web.

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 100mm macro lens, Canon Macro Ring Lite. May 29, 2013.

The Engineer. This is a different individual of Mecynogea lemniscata from the one in the previous photo. His engineering skills are wondrous. His web is ~15cm behind behind the web of the spider in the previous photo. Here the web of the individual in the photo above may be seen out-of-focus in the foreground of this image. It remains to be seen if these two spiders will coexist or if one will decide the other is getting too much to eat. In such an instance there are likely to be hard feelings between the two spiders, and the weaker or unluckier of the two might get eaten by the other. This spider is using six of its eight tarsal claws to grip its web and balance itself.

Equipment: as above. May 29, 2013.

Equipment: as above. April 26, 2013.

According to Wikipedia, this animal doesn't daub mud at all; it uses nests that other mud dauber wasps have used and abandoned. Photographed August 9, 2012. First seen alive in the kitchen a couple of days earlier, but an effort to capture the animal alive failed and it disappeared until found dead on the dining room floor two days later. Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 180mm macro lens, Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter, two Canon 600EX-RT Speedlites, Aperture, Photoshop CS5 Extended. Even with a bright Tensor focusing lamp it was difficult to focus on a black-looking insect against a black background.

My two photos of Chalybion californicum shown on this page are the only two photos of this species in the Encyclopedia of Life as of May 29, 2013.

According to Wikipedia, this animal doesn't daub mud at all; it uses nests that other mud dauber wasps have used and abandoned. Photographed August 9, 2012. First seen alive in the kitchen a couple of days earlier, but an effort to capture the animal alive failed and it disappeared until found dead on the dining room floor two days later. Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 180mm macro lens, Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter, two Canon 600EX-RT Speedlites, Aperture, Photoshop CS5 Extended. Even with a bright Tensor focusing lamp it was difficult to focus on a black-looking insect against a black background.

My two photos of Chalybion californicum shown on this page are the only two photos of this species in the Encyclopedia of Life as of May 29, 2013.

Photinus pyralis is a beetle, i.e., a member of Order Coleoptera. Coleoptera is derived from two Greek words that mean “sheathed wing.” Beetles' forewings are hardened and generally opaque, taking on the appearance of being a chitinous sheath covering the entire posterior segment of the insect. In fact, what appears to be a sheath covering the posterior of the insect behind the head is the forewings. The forewings conceal two more wings and the animal's thorax and abdomen in a dorsal view, but all three body segments are visible in this lateral view.

Photo by David and Leona Illig, June 5, 2013. Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 100mm macro lens, two Canon Speedlites 600EX-RT with radio remote control.

Phidippus audax does not build a web, but remains hidden and relies on excellent eyesight (relative to other spiders, that is) to spot its prey, then it jumps on the prey. Like other jumping spiders, Phidippus audax has eight eyes, six of which are clearly visible in this photo. In my opinion this is a very beautiful animal.

June 11, 2013. Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 100mm macro lens, two Canon Speedlites 600EX-RT with radio remote control.