Jumping Spider (Salticidae) cocooned in fungi

@ S Frazier... I will check it out!

Did you see this similar spotting Christiane? http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/710...

@ Ken.. could you please have a look at this... http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/682...

Looking forward to see your photos.. Are you on facebook?

I was working in diagnostic labs most of the time but I bought back about 300 exotic specimens for image capture. I will send links as they come online. I have a weevil from Chile that has eyes that look like the Spider Man character mask. I have never seen anything like it before. I'll show you soon. sy

Sounds like Roma, Paris or Bangkok... Did you take some photos??

Hi Christiane - Fantastic except I got stuck in Chile due to the Chilean volcanic ash cloud. Finally had to fly home through Los Angelese. I saw some amazing insects while I was there but the thing I will never forget was the chaotic taxi rides I had in Lima, Peru - more fun than you can imagine! Think of what the traffic is like with a population of about 10 million. Road rules - none; Most used part of the car - the horn! I met so many wonderful people. I felt embarrassed that I could only speak English when most people there are bilingual if not multilingual. `But my lack of Spanish was tolerated with lots of smiles and confusion but always taken in good humour. Good to be back.

Thanks for the info!! @ Ken.. how was South America..

Indeed, it could be a Cordyceps fungi. This fungus is more usually associated with insect larvae living in the soil.

Cordyceps characteristically develops elongate, fruiting bodies that are spectacular.

Here is a link to an image:

http://www.itsnature.org/plant_life/vege...

However, Cordyceps can certain mummify above ground invertebrates as well. Again, here are some links:

Here are some URLs that show these growths:

http://www.utexas.edu/courses/zoo384l/si...

http://www.forensicgenealogy.info/images...

that´s cool christiane!
I heard of a fungus called cordiceps, that infect insect, forcing them to commit suicide, after infecting others. This particular fungus infected ants and wasps, even moths... it would be likely that there is a cordiceps sp. for spiders...

Well.. this place was sterile when I first came here... Not one spider at the house.. no frogs, possums, kangaroos or birds! All shot!!! Now they all come back!!.. NO GUNS... NO Spray... and we share!!!

Good rule.

Cool... It is amazing what I can find in my garden after 6 month of NO SPRAY RULE!!!

yes - it's a jumping spider (Salticidae) cocooned in fungi.

I don't know.. I have seen the same spider on another tree???

Looks like an arachnid in the second photo

Is that some sort of fungus on it?