I have been known to display my love-hate relationship with spiders here on the Refuge. Knowing my ambivalent feelings toward arachnids, on-line droogs have shared photos of a couple of cool orb weavers, the type of spider I like, versus the lycosids which freak me out.

Spider porn below the fold…

First, Spacebee of Texas shares these pictures of a fine Gasteracantha cancriformis (Crab-like orb weaver) specimen. This spider resides in her backyard, having strung up the web between a starfruit and guava tree.

Now why am I reminded of a Dalkon shield?

And the rear-view:

ST of the UK provides the photo below for my squeamish but fascinated entertainment. This is an Araneus sp. chowing down on a damselfly. ST has a pretty serious macro lens on hand. Expect to see her photographs appearing on the Refuge in the future.

I acknowledge that the above is a beautiful critter, but I can’t shake the feeling of eight phantom legs and those little pedipalps scuttling over my skin.

Maybe I should get a pet tarantula as aversion therapy.

Many thanks to spacebee and ST for the photos!