There's a spider down...

I've decided not to bother with spiders at the moment as I have enough to get my teeth into with beetles and some other taxa. Plus they seem bloody tricky and to be frank, while I have no problem looking at and picking up spiders, there is something otherworldly and slightly disconcerting about them when viewed down a microscope.

They're currently filed under 'things to do in retirement'!

That being said, during breakfast the other morning, my youngest son (and the one showing the most interest in natural history) suddenly spouted "Dad, massive spider...."

I followed his gaze to see a fairly innocuous arachnid sitting quietly on the ceiling. I had a quick look and to my amazement I recognised it, having seen it feature on other people's blogs, Scytodes thoracica, the spitting spider. Rather beautifully marked and surprisingly leisurely in the movement department!

I duly potted it and safely put it outside in the garden, only later reading that they are pretty much restricted to heated housing and take 3 years to mature. Apologies to the spider involved