I’m telling you, these warm nights are hitting me right in the feels. Between the Micro Bats that flit frantically over our roof as the sun sets, the Garden Orb Weavers all building their webs simultaneously, stretched between trees exactly at face height, Peron’s Tree Frogs cackling away and the Possums stomping along fences it’s my favourite time of day and the best time of year!
I have been desperate to see this behaviour since I first heard about these spiders and Matt (of course) happened to spot this very lovely Net Casting Spider on one of our night wanders. Cue heading out over a few nights until I finally caught her, at just after 9:30PM, in the act of building her net 🙌
Seriously this spider has way better crafting skills then me. I mean, just check out the way that she finishes a row and how lovely and curly the silk is - perfect for stretching out and around any unlucky prey. It was fascinating watching her knitting away, facing upwards at that point and carefully flipping herself around once the net was complete, using her front four legs to carefully pull the net into shape, waiting for a cricket or cockroach to cross its path, so she can throw the net over them and and snapple them up!
Honestly, if you can, consider a night wander around your house, there is just so much life after dark! And even better, you can do it in your pjs. Unless you sleep naked that is and then it’s probably best not to 😳 Unless you live near me of course. I love to work a good nude into a story! 😉
Net Casting Spider
Northern Illawarra
