Arachnids - Blog Posts

I made a spider plush a bit ago. Here is the process.

I began by cutting out the main body and applying the eyes.

After the eyes were attached, I went ahead and stitched the body together with holes for the palps, chalicerae, and legs. Then, I started on making the legs.

Once the legs were made and applied, I moved on to making the chalicerae and palps.

Then I applied the palps, made the opisthosoma, then stuffed and stitched it together.

His name is Shamiek. I named him after the voice actor for Miles Morales in Spiderverse. This is to stick with the theme of naming my spiders after Spiderman actors.

To the creator: What are you scared of??

Warning for people with Arachnophobia

Well clearly not spiders if this is anything to go by. It's a Tarantula ("Ptasznik" in my native language, they didn't specify what subspecies tho) and her name is Adena!

Image ID: a close-up picture of a spider. It’s looking up at the person taking the photo with its head tilted. It’s mostly mottled brown with two iridescent green patches on the front of its head. It has 4 round eyes, with the center pair being larger than the outer two. You can kind of see a silhouette of a person in the reflection of its eyes. It has little tufts of hair all of its body, with two larger tufts on either side of its head. Frankly, it’s adorable. /End ID

Bold Jumping Spider (Phidippus audax)

March 27, 2023

Southeastern Pennsylvania

the earth made ticks as a love letter to goths who like vampires and spiders and nobody appreciates it

Purple Fluffy.

I am literally violently sobbing over Howie the Crab at 4:33 in the morning, I'm glad Howie got to die comfortably and with dignity. I stand by that all animals should be treated with kindness, no matter what that animal is. And frankly it makes me mad how so many animals are treated, like Stingrays, Crabs and a majority of fish. They aren't as cuddly as your typical house pet but they are still living creatures and they deserve to be treated as such. I feel like this shouldn't even be a thing that needs to be said but the way so many people treat non-mammal animals is disgusting.

A Small Infodump about Spider Venom

Look, I know the doctor said I need to take it easy and not work myself up but-

Is it really that bad that I'm currently  compiling a list of different spider venoms and their myriad of effects, along with categorizing different species of spiders to what venom they inflict? I believe a wise man once inquired, "Can't a girl have hobbies?" . Of course we all know the big four categories–

There is Phospholipase D, a venom that interacts with different cellular membrane components, degrades phospholipids, and generates bioactive mediators. This can cause damage to the tissue through necrosis, as well as blistering near the bite. The recluse spider is one of the most well known arachnids to have this venom.

Alpha Latrotoxin, stimulates uncontrolled exocytosis of neurotransmitters from nerve terminals, causing paresthesia, seizures and myocarditis, which always brings up the image of the infamous black widow spider, with her striking hourglass abdomen.

The Delta Atracotoxin wielded by my personal favorite- the black sydney funnel web spider (did you know that a sydney funnel web spider is capable of biting through a human fingernail?) slows the inactivation of sodium ion channels in autonomic and motor neurons. This can cause circulation failure as well as excess salivation, nausea and disorientation…

And of course the less talked about PhTx 3-4, a calcium channel blocking toxin that also stimulates the nervous system, causing nausea, hypertension, and change in arterial flow in parts of the body.

 There's just something about insects and arachnids and all of it as a whole that peaks my curiosity, that runs borderline close to familiarity. I mean, how about I turn the topic at hand onto you all– anyone who would like to share their favorite bugs and why, feel free.

Better yet, why not make it a poll?

got my baby girl pumpkin a year ago today!!! first pic is her shortly after i got her, she was so itty bitty 🥺

Pearl

friend

if you are a blog that posts bug stuff (insects / arachnids / etc) please like this so i can follow you!! not enough bug content on my dash. i love All of Them!! especially the unpopular ones. mosquitos and wasps and cockroaches my beloved.

Idk i can't think of what to say here

Little fluffy spider

👁👁👁👁

Spider butt

The Large & The Small.

A strapping Wolf Spider emerges from the pool & a tiny Jumping Spider poses, proudly showing off his new haircut.

Wolf Spider after being rescued from a swimming pool.

©Robin Fifield 2023.

Calendula with yellow spider.

©Robin Fifield 2020.