A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Gasteracantha sp.
The size of this was about 1 cm. It was very active. First photo is taken with a flash, the rest without.
High altitude mixed forrest and meadowland, dry season. It was found next to a waterhole.
Mbuluzi Game Reserve, Swaziland
Spotted on Jul 27, 2013
Submitted on Aug 1, 2013
15 Comments
Haha. Thanks Bay! There are quite a lot of this particular kind of spider around here. I would be very happy to have the correct ID. I cant remember from where I got the ID of this one in the first place. I trust your gut-feeling!
I am a little bit sceptic with Gasteracantha sp., but only a little bit...
See my comment on this one:
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/185...
I still think it is a Gasteracanthinae, but all of the Gastercantha sp. I know from RSA looks quite different. The box-like shape and the regularity of the spikes would indicate more Isoxya sp. and the most common one, the Bisquit Kite Spider looks from these points being quite a good match. But not from the colors and the "deepness" of the grooves. Kate has an expert around and she will ask him or her about her/his thought about hers. I know that these spiders might be quite variable, but looking at other Isoxya there is within the species quite an agreement about colors and markings. So it could be a not so known Isoxya or Gasteroxya?? Some other genus?? There are more around!
So I would be happy if you are correct with your ID and I am wrong, but best for my happiness would be the correct species.
Stay tuned! I just a have a strange feeling in my guts (or is it my diet?) ;-)...
This I know Tiz and am very thankful for especially on all my travels :-)
You are a very lucky woman!
hahaha Tiz...mosquitoes don't like me so I didn't get bitten but they absolutely love my Mum much to her dismay!!
Thank you for the lovely words Debbie. I wish you a great weekend, and don't scratch those finnish mosquito bites too much :P I hope to see a spotting of one of them :D
Beautiful spider Tiz, you have some lovely spottings :-)
Thank you Jemma and Lauren :)
Beautiful Spider with extra spines, I really like your first and last photos!
nice one Tiz.
Thank you all for the comments. I am sorry for the bad quality in pic 4-5, but I think they could be important for a possible ID. Have a great day all of you!
Very nice series.
Wonderful :)
Fantastic series!
Very cool little spider. Nice series!