This is what 800 Brown Widow Spiders looks like

Or at least, this is what they look like before they hatch


Nikon D100, Nikon 300mm f/4D ED-IF AF-S, 1/60th handheld w/built-in flash.

I'll post photos of the babies after they hatch, as well as the parents.

You're definately insane Axe

This is as close to spiders as I ever want to get, nice shot

I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU POSTED THAT!

hehe, you wait'll they hatch

at least its not a spider...yet...


spiders freak me the f**k out....

Spiders are a fascinating part of nature. Not much different than a worm or slug. They all have their own beauty and purpose (although I can't specifically tell you what the beauty /purpose of a brown widow spider might be *lol - nor a slug or worm for that matter) I admire Axe's love of this. Even more so, his ability to capture the right moments.

The beauty/purpose of the brown widow is that they help get rid of those damn pesky mosquitoes!!!

I understand the niche that spiders fill in all types of environments...but still...the hell with'em lol

I literally shuddered the moment i saw that. I HATE spiders.

in terms of the photo, it's a nice shot. I like the angle and lines, good DOF. The textures are good too. I think the sack could be just a tad more in frame towards the center, but that's nitpicking. I like spiders, i think they're one of natures wonders. And to get rid of mosquitos makes them even more useful.

anything that stings is bad

Frogs eat mosquitos too. I am perfectly happy with the job they are doing. We don't need spiders. Great shot, Axe.

hey wow, reminds me of a lot of black widow nests I find in the garage, under lawnmowers etc.

Are brown widows poisonous?

Yup. Apparently their venom is actually about twice as toxic as the black widow's, however they inject MUCH smaller quantities, so overall, a bite from a brown isn't going to be as potentially harmful as a bite from a black.

But, nobody's died from a black widow bite in over 30 years, apparently, so no big deal. I got bit by a black a coupla years ago. Aside from feeling crappy for 3-4 days, no problem.

Well, that sac ended up having 6 others join it. That one pictured above just started to hatch out today.



For a size comparison, that's a 35mm plastic film canister they're in.