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A good few dozen katipo in this location, well behind the front dunes, which are marram-covered and wickedly carved by the winds for which Porangahau is named. Here katipo are more found under sand wind grass and Sporobolus africanus than Spinifex and sand coprosma
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A good few dozen katipo in this location, well behind the front dunes, which are marram-covered and wickedly carved by the winds for which Porangahau is named. Here katipo are more found under sand wind grass and Sporobolus africanus than Spinifex and sand coprosma
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@arnim 2nd recon trip to main dunes near Waipaoa River and found my first! I was beginning to think I wasn't looking for the right thing, when I stumbled across this guy and so my fears were unfounded... if they are there, they are easy to find!
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@arnim ...and inside the snare, mum and her eggsac... This would be a black? I didn't want to disturb her too much, and the sun was very bright, so I had no idea how good the photos would turn out. Last photo for context (I need a brighter hat!) 4 days later
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@arnim ...and inside the snare, mum and her eggsac... This would be a black? I didn't want to disturb her too much, and the sun was very bright, so I had no idea how good the photos would turn out. Last photo for context (I need a brighter hat!) 4 days later
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@arnim ...and inside the snare, mum and her eggsac... This would be a black? I didn't want to disturb her too much, and the sun was very bright, so I had no idea how good the photos would turn out. Last photo for context (I need a brighter hat!) 4 days later
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@arnim ...and inside the snare, mum and her eggsac... This would be a black? I didn't want to disturb her too much, and the sun was very bright, so I had no idea how good the photos would turn out. Last photo for context (I need a brighter hat!) 4 days later
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Look closely at the brown dots - some are oriented to see the white abdomen. Strangeness about this event: Firstly, every other time I've seen an eggsac broken so the spiderlings can depart, the vast majority race to the top of the nearest plant stem, and balloon away. This was patently not happening in this case. Secondly, it is strange to me that they should photograph as so brown (legs), as every other photoset I have of katipo spiderlings is much dominated by the white of the abdomen. 3rd photo is the mother, 4th provides location context.
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Look closely at the brown dots - some are oriented to see the white abdomen. Strangeness about this event: Firstly, every other time I've seen an eggsac broken so the spiderlings can depart, the vast majority race to the top of the nearest plant stem, and balloon away. This was patently not happening in this case. Secondly, it is strange to me that they should photograph as so brown (legs), as every other photoset I have of katipo spiderlings is much dominated by the white of the abdomen. 3rd photo is the mother, 4th provides location context.
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Look closely at the brown dots - some are oriented to see the white abdomen. Strangeness about this event: Firstly, every other time I've seen an eggsac broken so the spiderlings can depart, the vast majority race to the top of the nearest plant stem, and balloon away. This was patently not happening in this case. Secondly, it is strange to me that they should photograph as so brown (legs), as every other photoset I have of katipo spiderlings is much dominated by the white of the abdomen. 3rd photo is the mother, 4th provides location context.
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Look closely at the brown dots - some are oriented to see the white abdomen. Strangeness about this event: Firstly, every other time I've seen an eggsac broken so the spiderlings can depart, the vast majority race to the top of the nearest plant stem, and balloon away. This was patently not happening in this case. Secondly, it is strange to me that they should photograph as so brown (legs), as every other photoset I have of katipo spiderlings is much dominated by the white of the abdomen. 3rd photo is the mother, 4th provides location context.
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Point of note is the weak red stripe and the absence of any white outline or the flashes up front on the abdomen. She is situated amidst a community of katipo that have normal red markings with white trim/flashes. 4th photo for location context.
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Point of note is the weak red stripe and the absence of any white outline or the flashes up front on the abdomen. She is situated amidst a community of katipo that have normal red markings with white trim/flashes. 4th photo for location context.
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Point of note is the weak red stripe and the absence of any white outline or the flashes up front on the abdomen. She is situated amidst a community of katipo that have normal red markings with white trim/flashes. 4th photo for location context.
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Point of note is the weak red stripe and the absence of any white outline or the flashes up front on the abdomen. She is situated amidst a community of katipo that have normal red markings with white trim/flashes. 4th photo for location context.
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Very definitely black katipo, inside retreat but no eggsack. The Sidymella in next observation was in the plant next to this, about 250mm or so away
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Very definitely black katipo, inside retreat but no eggsack. The Sidymella in next observation was in the plant next to this, about 250mm or so away
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A black with her single eggsac.
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"this is the black from friday, and as @arnim suggested, I returned to find 2nd eggsac delivered. Momma is feisty, and the stick that i used to open the snare was ""attacked"" several times in quick succession. She kinda dances while suspended from the eggsacs, in a sort of up and down pulsating motion... very hypnotic. I retrieved her long enough for a good abdominal dorsum view, and then returned. The other two katipo found today were about 5 metres toward the rivermouth. 4 days earlier almost total lack of markings on the upper abdomen except for the front flashes"
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"this is the black from friday, and as @arnim suggested, I returned to find 2nd eggsac delivered. Momma is feisty, and the stick that i used to open the snare was ""attacked"" several times in quick succession. She kinda dances while suspended from the eggsacs, in a sort of up and down pulsating motion... very hypnotic. I retrieved her long enough for a good abdominal dorsum view, and then returned. The other two katipo found today were about 5 metres toward the rivermouth. 4 days earlier almost total lack of markings on the upper abdomen except for the front flashes"
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"this is the black from friday, and as @arnim suggested, I returned to find 2nd eggsac delivered. Momma is feisty, and the stick that i used to open the snare was ""attacked"" several times in quick succession. She kinda dances while suspended from the eggsacs, in a sort of up and down pulsating motion... very hypnotic. I retrieved her long enough for a good abdominal dorsum view, and then returned. The other two katipo found today were about 5 metres toward the rivermouth. 4 days earlier almost total lack of markings on the upper abdomen except for the front flashes"
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A busy pair, both male and female. 5th photo provides location context.
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A busy pair, both male and female. 5th photo provides location context.
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A busy pair, both male and female. 5th photo provides location context.