Jumping Spider on yellow flower

These are two shots of a tiny jumping spider on a yellow flower I took.

Jumping Spider photographs

These are some macro photographs of jumping spiders.  Jumping Spiders are very common throughout the world.  These small arachnids are named because they are quick and like to jump to capture prey and escape danger.  Jumping spiders come in many different sizes colors and shapes.  Jumping spiders have incredible eyesight and are very alert.  These arachnids hunt by sight.  When one of these spiders sees movement they will generally turn towards the movement or sometimes shy away if they sense danger.

Jumping spiders are mostly harmless to humans.  Most are not aggressive and will not bite unless harassed.  You can handle most jumping spiders without fear of being bitten.

I dont not know what exact species most of these are.  I took these macro photographs of jumping spiders in Texas.  Some were found in Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth.

I shot these pictures on a Canon 5D Mark II with either a Sigma 180mm or a Canon MP-E 65mm 1x-5x lens.

My favorite photographs are the first three where the jumping spider is on some pink colored flowers called Red Yucca.  The jumping spider had actually caught another jumping spider and was eating it.  I got a few photographs before the jumping spider got scared and dropped his meal.  This was my first time to see a jumping spider eating another spider.

I shot these three photographs of jumping spider in Farmers Branch Texas in Gussie / Waterworth Park.  Every year the park is full of flowers and roses.  I usually find a lot of insects to photograph in this park.  This was the first time I have seen a jumping spider eating another spider.

These are some videos I have taken of jumping spiders.

Striped Bark Scorpion

These are some photographs of a Striped Bark Scorpion.  The Striped Bark Scorpion(Centruroides vittatus) is one of the most common scorpions found in the United States.  These scorpions are mostly harmless except for a painful sting.  Very rarely death can occur mostly in individuals that are highly allergic.  Most stings occur by accident when someone steps on a scorpion.  Scorpions like to hide in dark places so a shoe left outside becomes a good hiding spot for a scorpion.  Striped Bark Scorpions are tan to light brown with two dark brown strips running down there back.  These arachnids live mostly in desert or arid land.  They can be found under rocks and debris during the day.  At night Striped Bark Scorpions forage for food.  These arachnid feed on small insects and other arachnids.  Striped Bark Scorpions are found from northern Mexico through Texas and up to Nebraska.
These photographs of Striped Bark Scorpions were shot outside Austin Texas.  I found the scorpion under a rock while I was hunting for things to photograph.  They are quite common in this area.  These photographs were shot on a Canon 5D Mark II using a Sigma 180mm macro lens.  For lighting I use a Canon MT-24EX twin flash.

These are some videos of a Striped Bark Scorpion.  In the first video you can see it is a female with baby scorpions on its back.

The second video is a Striped Bark Scorpion crawling on the ground.

If you would like to license any of these photographs or video contact me at producttester999@gmail.com

Sackens Bee Hunter Photograph

This is a Sackens Bee Hunter.  I came across this insect by accident one day.  I thought it was a Bumble Bee at first but I quickly realized it was a bee mimic.  I took a few photographs and began my search on the internet.  I have never seen one of these and I have lived in the same house for 25 years.
It turns out I took photographs of a Sackens Bee Hunter.  These bee mimic will capture and eat other bees.  They blend in and using the same color patterns are Bumble Bees.  They are stripped yellow and black but are not as wide bodied as a Bumble Bee.  They also stand differently in a different posture.
I have not been able to get much information on the internet as these seem to be elusive and not very common.  I found some articles that state they can bite of sting and that it is quite painful.  They are not aggressive and would only sting you if captured or maybe stepped on.  These insect are very good at mimicking bees.  If I wasn’t trained to notice details on insects because of my fascination with macro photography I would have dismissed this Sacken’s Bee Hunter as just another bee.

Juvenile Diamondback Water Snake photographs

These of some photographs of a Juvenile Diamondback Water Snake I caught in Double Oak Texas.  These are one of several common Water Snakes found in the area.  Diamondback Water Snakes are harmless and will attempt to flee if they come in contact with humans.

This is a juvenile Diamondback Water Snake.  Juvenile Diamondback Water Snakes eat minnows and other small fish.  These reptiles are not venomous.  Diamondback Water Snake reach a length of about 5 feet.  These are often found around lakes, ponds and rivers.  They will travel over long distances to find new hunting grounds.  Diamondback Water Snakes are common in Texas.