SPOIDS

October 3, 2018 4:36 AM

Spiderween: An Arachnophobe-Safe Guide To Spiders. "I think everyone deserves a chance to learn about such an amazing corner of the animal kingdom, and so for an entire thirty-one entries in a row, we're about to go over some of the most interesting spider species, spider habits and spider superpowers without a single realistic spider in view. Instead, we're substituting the real animals with anthropomorphs I believe I've designed to capture as much of a spider's 'character' or 'personality' as a four-limbed, two-eyed, endoskeletoned biped ever reasonably could."

There doesn't seem to be a dedicated landing page for the series yet, but as of October 3rd we've got:

Day One: The Basics
Day Two: Wolf Spiders
Day Three: Araneus Orb Spiders

Spiderween is the newest project of prolific writer, illustrator, Halloween fanatic, and natural science superfan Bogleech (lots of previouslies).

posted by showbiz_liz (21 comments total)

I, pointystick, an arachnophobe, gathered my courage and clicked.

Confirmed safe, cute, informative. There are apparently links to Actual Spider Photos but they are well marked and I did not click. (I may be more brave later).

Flagged as fantastic. Thank you!
posted by pointystick at 4:43 AM on October 3, 2018 [10 favorites]

Babies separated by force from an adult's body would begin to take care of themselves, but fared poorly at it with a strikingly low survival rate.
[...]
another experiment in the same paper introduced "orphan" babies to an unmated female, who responded with significant stress and attempted repeatedly to kick and brush the strange children back off of her body...but still never made a move to actually harm them.

Spiders: surprisingly similar to humans
posted by EndsOfInvention at 4:45 AM on October 3, 2018 [11 favorites]

I think my favorite new fact so far is that spiders have (1) an extra set of pseudo-limbs on their face (2) which are actually part of their mouth (3) and, in males, are also basically their testicles.
posted by showbiz_liz at 4:55 AM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

Spiders Metafilter: surprisingly similar to humans
posted by Fizz at 4:59 AM on October 3, 2018 [3 favorites]

This is fantastic! Thanks for the post
posted by dhruva at 5:38 AM on October 3, 2018

This is great.

(Full disclosure: not an arachnophobe, already kind of love spiders)
posted by thivaia at 5:40 AM on October 3, 2018

Spiders: surprisingly similar to humans

Well, we certainly spewed the Web from our collective ass....
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:43 AM on October 3, 2018 [8 favorites]

I had arachnophobia as a child/teenager, and just like the article mentions, I was able to cure myself of it by learning about them, by exposing myself to them and now I love spiders. I am the designated spider remover at the house. Which is great because I can teach my sons not to be mean or scared of them.

Earlier in the summer we have a fuggin ADORABLE jumping spider in the house, and i was able to carefully catch him and relocate him. My 3.5yr old son, watching this occur remarked that iw as "So cuutte" and it warmed my heart.

Most years we have some variant of Orb Weaver(some black and yellow ones, usually the red/brown ones) around the house (alas, this year we did not), and I love watching them build their webs at dusk and tear them down in the morning. They get names and I'll leave the back porch light on for them. They eat like queens.
posted by Twain Device at 5:54 AM on October 3, 2018 [4 favorites]

Also good for spider desensitization, although much less scientific (but extremely cute and surprisingly musical): Lucas the Spider.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 6:34 AM on October 3, 2018 [4 favorites]

The Panjange lanthana species group has amazing eyes! Like, I don’t think I’ve seen anything like them. Spiders are neat!
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:47 AM on October 3, 2018

I can't wait for the jumping spiders segment...
posted by jim in austin at 7:03 AM on October 3, 2018

Bogleech is great! I hope he does a similar series on wasps some day. Realistic images of wasps don't really bother me, but I still can't handle the real thing.
posted by tobascodagama at 7:50 AM on October 3, 2018

A couple weeks ago we had an orb spider use the overhead power line running through the alley behind my house as one of the anchor points for its web. That line is at least 20 feet in the air. The web itself was at ground level in the middle of a walkway(!). I only noticed it because of the dew on it caught the light from the just-risen sun.

I still am amazed at how such a tiny spider could find attachment points that far apart at night.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 8:12 AM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

I had a spider build a web in my hanging planter this summer. She stayed there for about two weeks, repairing and moving her web slightly each day. I was careful not to spray water on her when I watered, and I would greet her every morning and evening with a hello and a smile.

I don't really want spiders to touch me, but I like them.
posted by twilightlost at 8:46 AM on October 3, 2018 [4 favorites]

some of them can't even look directly at a cartoon facsimile of an arachnid without experiencing immediate anxiety

this is me, but this site is very cool. I've always sort of wished I could learn a little bit about the creepy buggers but fear of photos kept me away. thanks!
posted by supermedusa at 9:08 AM on October 3, 2018

ok I have read all 3 now and they were interesting altho I did experience moments of unease. in Oakland October is definitely orb-time. we generally get the orange striped ones. they get so big!! their webs span such vast spaces. not a fan. but they stay outside so I leave them alone...
posted by supermedusa at 9:27 AM on October 3, 2018

Possibly relevant - spider emoji review
posted by blurker at 9:56 AM on October 3, 2018

SPIDERWEEN, omg!

One of my friends keeps tarantulas, and I've already cheerfully given my thumbs-up to my roommate, who asked this week if anyone would mind if she brought home a pet tarantula. So I may not be the target audience for this, but I'm definitely excited to read it.
posted by sciatrix at 10:07 AM on October 3, 2018

From Day 2: "another experiment in the same paper introduced "orphan" babies to an unmated female, who responded with significant stress and attempted repeatedly to kick and brush the strange children back off of her body...but still never made a move to actually harm them. Instead, as the babies wore her down and found their place on her abdomen, she vented her frustration on the nearest inanimate objects - dragging the cotton balls out of her water dish. "

I am in love with this spider.
posted by blurker at 10:17 AM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

There's a subreddit for everything: Spiders being bros, because "spiders are fun, mostly friendly creatures that just want to enjoy a good meal (albeit of flies) and chill like you do."
posted by elgilito at 10:59 AM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

When I was in university, I had some type of orb weaver move into the corner above my shower stall. It was a pretty neat spider, who would emerge from whatever hidey hole it had found to sit in the web while I showered in the morning, no doubt feeling the mist hit the web. Anyways, I took to saying good morning to it and got kind of attached. Then my girlfriend of the time noticed the spider while she was having a shower one morning, and made sure to spray the entire thing down the drain. Our relationship did the same shortly thereafter.

My wife recently found a cat's head spider while picking crab apples, and brought it home and we observed it in a makeshift habitat for a bit before letting it go.

Any conclusions on the difference in approach to spiders between these two women, and my relationship status with them, is purely coincidental.
posted by nubs at 2:31 PM on October 3, 2018 [4 favorites]