Spider Sex

Today is Remembrance Day and I went out with the sole purpose of getting a meaningful blip.  But nothing came right, so I came home, a little out of sorts and quite disconsolate.

But you can depend on Mother Nature to lift your spirits.

I was out the front with Mish, and saw this tiny blob thing, and on closer inspection thought I saw a spider eating another spider.

Wrong!

It was a pair of jumping spiders having a good time.  I tried so hard to get a video of it, but wasn't able to.

Anyway, this is Mrs. after the event, looking quite beautiful and serene.  In extras you will see both of them - he is on top of her back, with his head facing her bum (I know, it's gross but that's spiders for you).

He's not as colourful as the eastern states jumpers, but still has really exquisite markings.  I would have loved to have seen the courtship dance, so I'll have to keep an eye open.

These spiders are tiny, and both together they only took up the space of a quarter of a small petal - maybe 5mm square.

I can't believe my luck - I've never seen jumpers in the garden before this year, and I reckon it's the natives I've planted that have brought them in.