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While not particularly thrilled to find this lady in my letter box this afternoon, I was delighted with the photo opportunity and to have Space’s 1996 Latin tinged classic bopping about in my head for the rest of the day…
A thousand thundering thrills await me
Facing insurmountable odds gratefully
The female of the species is more deadly than the male
The Redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti) – my first siting of one of Australia’s thirty seven million critters that will kill you. Wikipedia informs me that the Redback is one of two animal species in which the much smaller male assists the female in sexual cannibalism during mating – he’s a willing participant in his own demise. Whilst engaged in the act of love, the hapless little boy lowers his bits into his special lady friend’s jaws. With a climactic chomp, the deed – and the dad – are done.
Oh she deals in witchcraft and one kiss and I’m zapped
Oh how can heaven hold a place for me
When a girl like you has cast a spell on me
This voluntary decision to become his lover’s main course gives the poor fellow a reproductive advantage over his undigested colleagues. The lady, sated in more ways than one, is more likely to send other males packing.
Oh she wants to conquer the world completely
But first she’ll conquer me discreetly
The female of the species is more deadly than the male
It’s wintertime in South Australia and love is in the air.
——————————
Space’s 1996 LP “Spiders” is available from 
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Buzz
I’ve always liked that song. Great shots too
nursemyra´s last blog ..tongueing it
We have boring spiders in Indiana . . .
tysdaddy´s last blog ..Window
Lesson one for the New Australian. Letterbox hygiene.
headbang8´s last blog ..The Einstein Memorial Turd
Do you get Huntsmen spiders down in SA? Not dangerous like Redbacks, but man are they creepy.
Mooselet´s last blog ..MST3K Distraction
CHRIS!!! You KNOW EXACTLY how I feel about this kind of thing! You can TALK about them but we don’t need PHOTOS!!! I’m too traumatised to even comment on what good shots they are. Some kind of warning next time would be nice.
And please, tell me you beat the crap outta it and stamped on it fifty times after you took your precious photos? Please?
Errr…. Do I see a bunch of tiny (baby) spiders in there as well? That looks like a problem that only gasoline and a sulfur-tipped piece of cardboard can fix.
/heebie jeebies
Oy! I found myself lifting my feet up off of the floor while I was reading this. Yeah, I probably got my toes closer to some spider web tucked into a corner of the underside of my desk.
P.S. I’m LOVING all of the different photos in your header lately.
mongoliangirl´s last blog ..As long as I’m awake when said action is requested
Ewwww. Do not let your son retrieve the mail.
Carolyn Online´s last blog ..Emptying my head: Vol. 3
What I want to know is what pervy insectologist figured this out in the first place?
Here In Franklin´s last blog ..There’s something in the air in Buenos Aires
If you’re really trying to freak out the phobics, add a picture of a snake next time. Your reader numbers might drop for a while though.
(I used to treat snakes and it was amazing the number of things we had to do to protect the “regular” clients from knowing there was a snake in the waiting room. Even worse, though, was the receptionist who was deathly afraid of birds. All birds. Even chickens. I thought she was going to stroke out when an injured hawk got loose in the waiting room before I could come get it.)
Theresa B´s last blog ..The Mind is a Terrible Thing
Shudder.
I don’t normally mind spiders, but anything involving black and red freaks me out when it comes to arachnids.
alice´s last blog ..More on health care
And they say love is dead. It’s pretty much the same with humans right, just figurative death rather than literal:)
chris´s last blog ..Things I Do When I Should Be Working
Thank you so much for that well captured piece of Gothic Horror and Fearfest for phobics like Agnes and I.
So how big was it actually? The one we killed in the porch had a body the size of a walnut. It was the biggest f***er I have ever seen in that flavour. Mind you the Huntsman we killed in the kitchen yesterday was a nasty looking piece of work too. Damn log fires…..
arizaphale´s last blog ..In Which I Am Forced To Confront My Cynicism
…he’s a willing participant in his own demise.
Oh, like THAT’S so original! I’ve been doing it for YEARS! Haven’t you?
The Unbearable Banishment´s last blog ..spooky message in my meat
Have you heard the Space/Cerys Matthews collabo “The Ballad of Tom Jones”? Really brill stuff. I found my cd single when I was cleaning/excavating my apartment.
Awesome pictures. But … eeeewww eeeewww eeeewww! You gotta warn a gal before you just go throwing something like that up on the top of your blog!
‘Scuse me, I have to go unclench my toes now.
ZenMom´s last blog ..Reason number 1,942 …
EEEP A spider…
Kill it KILL IT …
——————> runs this way…
Awesome pics, but man I hate spiders almost as much as snakes!
Damon´s last blog ..Summer has arrived: Random Tuesday Thoughts
Does your header automatically change everyday or am I on crack?
Have you ever seen or heard of a spider with a shiny silver (looks like silver metal) back? Still trying to identify this crazy looking one I saw last year.
And those freaking Huntsman– I’m like a spider magnet.
Florida Girl In Sydney´s last blog ..Chapter Three
I am appalled and terrified.
muskrat´s last blog ..MTV references and panning for gold
Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! I can’t even read your post for the huge honking SPIDER! Ack!
Gypsy´s last blog ..Throw me a fricken bone
That first picture is perfect. I love it.
rassles´s last blog ..Disgust
Eek! Awesome photos, though I don’t think I’d want to personally come in contact with that thing.
courtney´s last blog ..It’s Easy To Be Green When There’s Free Stuff Involved
Nurse – Thanks.
Tys – I’m pretty sure you’ve got black widows. There isn’t much of a difference between a redback and a black widow.
Headbang – I’ve been finding them everywhere now. I’m trying to train Zach to come and get me when he finds one rather than messing with them.
Mooselet – We do. They are cool!
Agnes – I tried to kill it, but it escaped. Now it is angry. Or was.
Joe – I think it’s a male, but Dr. O’C thinks babies. Either way, I’ve sorted it – though not using your explosive suggestion.
Mongola – You live on a farm, you must have had to deal with worse than a little spider!
Carolyn – Yeah, I thought exactly the same.
HIF – That’s what we scientists do! Most of us don’t get much lovin’ when we’re young, so we observe other critters at it.
Theresa – I used to be deathly afraid of spiders, but seem to have gotten past it. Snakes, I’ve always liked.
Alice – Black and red is a fantastic color combination.
Chris – I didn’t want to say it, but…
Ariza – It was a good sized gal. I didn’t really get the ruler out, though.
TUB – True. True.
Amy – No, I’ve not. Sounds intriguing.
Zen Mom – I know, I’ve now realized that there are more arachnophobes out there than I thought, like Siren.
Damon – And they aren’t just girls.
FGIS – They’re random header images. Don’t know of a silver backed spider, but my default setting with Australian spiders is not messing with them.
Muskrat – Wuss.
Gypsy – I have now killed it. I felt bad, but I can’t have the kid sticking his hand in a spider infested mailbox.
Rassles – THANK YOU. I’m glad someone appreciates it.
Courtney – That’s what telephoto lenses are for.
That photo is stunning. I have a strange fascination with spiders. Not phobic about them at all, though I wouldn’t want one crawling around on me. I let them live if I find them in my house (the spiders we have around here aren’t deadly).
Gwen´s last blog ..Def Leppard Saved My Life Today
Wow. Ty-man as my main course. That’s a bit weird to think about.
Beautiful photos, hon! And the funnel web, is that mainly a Sydney critter or do you see them where you are, as well?
Coal Miner’s Granddaughter´s last blog ..Kentucky Borderline*
I’m reading in reverse, so disregard my disappointment stated in earlier comment. Helluva snapshot.
NATUI´s last blog ..Don’t Look Under the Cabbage Leaf
[...] slayed another redback in the letterbox – using appropriate tools and safety gear, of [...]