Green Lynx Spider, True, Texas
Taken on Taack Road in True, here's a female Green Lynx Spider "building" a shelter in this Ashey Sunflower blossom by pulling some of the petals inward toward the center. We had been cruising back roads north of Newcastle looking for patches of these sunflowers, a favorite of Green Lynx spiders, and many others. There was a stiff, gusty westerly wind blowing and blossoms were dancing around furiously. Any spiders aboard were getting a seriously bumpy ride. We had left our regular cameras back at the cottage, deciding to go light while close to town... just using our phone cameras. Here I'm using one hand to steady the blossom and working the phone with the other. Sometimes simply holding the blossom doesn't provide enough stability, slight wiggling can still occur, spoiling some images. Here I'm employing a "trick" that increases control of what you're attempting to render motionless. By gently holding the blossom right where the stem joins its underside, pulling up lightly until all the slack in the stem is gone will provide additional stability, making it possible to shoot even in high wind. It helps to position your body so it's sheltering the blossom from being struck directly by the wind.
Here the spider is constructing her "hide" in a way that many Crab Spiders do... by folding over petals to make a kind of "tent". The petals are anchored in position with strands of silk. She worked away diligently, not reacting when my hand touched the blossom. After snapping off about a dozen images I released her blossom and we moved on to other patches of flowers.
iPhone SE, IMG-1362R
Green Lynx Spider, True, Texas
Taken on Taack Road in True, here's a female Green Lynx Spider "building" a shelter in this Ashey Sunflower blossom by pulling some of the petals inward toward the center. We had been cruising back roads north of Newcastle looking for patches of these sunflowers, a favorite of Green Lynx spiders, and many others. There was a stiff, gusty westerly wind blowing and blossoms were dancing around furiously. Any spiders aboard were getting a seriously bumpy ride. We had left our regular cameras back at the cottage, deciding to go light while close to town... just using our phone cameras. Here I'm using one hand to steady the blossom and working the phone with the other. Sometimes simply holding the blossom doesn't provide enough stability, slight wiggling can still occur, spoiling some images. Here I'm employing a "trick" that increases control of what you're attempting to render motionless. By gently holding the blossom right where the stem joins its underside, pulling up lightly until all the slack in the stem is gone will provide additional stability, making it possible to shoot even in high wind. It helps to position your body so it's sheltering the blossom from being struck directly by the wind.
Here the spider is constructing her "hide" in a way that many Crab Spiders do... by folding over petals to make a kind of "tent". The petals are anchored in position with strands of silk. She worked away diligently, not reacting when my hand touched the blossom. After snapping off about a dozen images I released her blossom and we moved on to other patches of flowers.
iPhone SE, IMG-1362R