Insects

Spiders that spin  webs  resembling wheels with spokes are known as Orb Weavers. The rounded web is anchored with silk strands – in a triangular shape – to reeds and grasses.  Below is a photo of the full web.  There were literally hundreds of these webs that were larger than dinner plates in a ditch just east of Winnipeg and likely the only reason that I noticed them was because it was early in the morning, they were heavy with dew and glistening in the morning sun. I think it is just amazing how these small sized spiders create such magnificant webs.  Most of the webs I looked at that morning had a spider at home in the centre waiting for breakfast to drop in.  Orb Weavers, like most spiders, are not considered harmful to humans and, in fact, are beneficial as they assist in insect control. I must admit that spiders are not at the top of my favourites lists but they really are fascinating little creatures.

Below:  A closer view of the Orb Weaver. This was was a pretty blue-green colour and its legs were a light shade of orange.  So far, all the spiders I have observed are “hairy”.

Below: Yet another Orb Weaver – this one found in my garden but not in the web.  It was referred to as a “cat face” on one website that I visited. I don’t see a resemblance but . . .

Enjoy!

Sharon

Daddy Longlegs is not really a “Spider” because it only has one body section and two eyes unlike real spiders.  However, it sure looks like a spider to me  so I am including it in this post.

Below, another Orb Weaving Spider found in a Nopiming forest.

Below is a spider from the “fishing” family.  These spiders are active hunters who do not use webs but instead search out their prey.  Those very large “dock spiders” ( photo in a previous post)  are also members of the fishing spider family. The spider below was one of many scurrying around the beach and shoreline of Lake Manitoba.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

There are three stages in the dragonfly life cycle – egg, nymph and the adult dragonfly. Today’s blog features dragonfly nymphs. They look absolutely alien! The eggs are laid in water and the nymphs live in the water only to come up on shore on a suitable day for the adult dragonfly to emerge and unfurls its beautiful translucent wings.  These photos were taken in June alongside a small creek and there were many nymphs on the grass in various stages of emergence.  It was quite fascinating to watch. It looked to be a struggle crawling out of the casing and took quite a while but, after freeing themselves of the nymph casing, the dragonfly would slowly unfurl its wings and then proceed to dry them before taking to flight.

Below: The empty nymph shells stuck to the side of a boathouse.

Enjoy!

~Sharon