Spodder (Spider) Watch

Now that the weather is warming up here, we've had a few evenings when the windows have been open at night. Naturally, the light from the loungeroom (after dark) attracts loads of bugs, and the other night, we had an eight-legged visitor, as well.

Stephen spotted her just about the door in the loungeroom - a Delena Cancerides. I'd seen only one before, the one I mentioned in the book, but I recognized the species immediately because of the reddish-brown legs. I don't have a photograph of one, but you can get a look at photos here, on my favorite "spider identification" website. The website describes the species as light brown, but the photos look reddish to me, and the spider in the loungeroom had a definite reddish tone on her legs (very much like the one in the photo on the website marked "with spiderlings").

She wasn't all that big - maybe 3 1/2" (leg span), but still - that's a good sized "spodder".

Well, Ms. Delena was a girl on the move. She quickly walked along the top of the wall, just below the ceiling, moving from the door over to the adjoining wall, then moving downward behind the chimney of our woodburner, and finally dropping down onto the small stack of firewood next to it. I didn't think much of it, figuring there was probably something on the wood that attracted her.

A few minutes later, I saw her wander over under the TV, and then turn and start walking at a steady pace straight for me! This is unusual, in my experience. Only once before have I seen a huntsman walking toward me (an incident I mentioned in the book). I'm no longer terrified by these creatures, but I'm not terribly tolerant of the idea of one of them coming at me - so I jumped off the couch and while Stephen ran for the flyswatter, I stomped my foot a few inches ahead of her to stop her. She froze and stood still, then obligingly climbed up on the end of the flyswatter when I put it in front of her.

I scolded her mightily for her "bad manners" and took her outside, gently tapping her onto the deck just outside the door. She quickly squeezed between the decking slats, moving safely out of sight.

It's a shame we had to eject her. I haven't seen any huntsmen in the house for quite some time, and I depend on them to keep the house bug-free, esp. in the warmer months.

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WASSUP?

• What I’m listening to: "Deadly Animals (Come to Australia)" by The Scared Weird Little Guys (it's HILAROUS!)
  
• What’s for tea: Curry Pumpkin Soup (homemade) and dill-feta rolls (also homemade)
  
• What I’m reading: "What Einstein Told His Cook" by Robert L. Wolke
  
• Wine recommendation: shiraz - a cleanskin from Dan Murphy's
• What's the season?: spring in Oz, fall in the U.S.