Firewood Delivery.

After loading some logs of firewood from a recently fallen Silky Oak on to the trailer and transporting them to the wood heap, a small jumping spider was noticed on one of the logs. A trip inside for the camera was made, and on return two more jumpers were found on the same log. The first was a richly coloured Servaea incana, a common species, the second a very large and impressive Sandalodes superbus, and the third a smaller individual of the same species. Photos were taken as they roamed around the trailer, possibly wondering why their tree was not still standing. The spider website arachne.org.au notes that Sandalodes superbus can easily jump 30 cm, and can deliver a painful bite that has no further consequences. The first one pictured was certainly big enough to do so.

Servaea incana.

Sandalodes superbus.

Click to enlarge.

 

A Variation.

With temperatures dropping substantially, invertebrate activity is also dropping, so finding this jumping spider on a cool morning was a surprise. Servaea incana is a common jumping spider that has often featured in these posts, and its appearance has until now been fairly uniform, varying just a little in colour. This individual however was quite different with the dorsal stripe, and lack of v shaped markings so commonly seen.

Click to enlarge.