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Nikoi Island’s Micro World Day 3

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17 June 2013

Nikoi Island [ Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 ]

Final day at Nikoi Island! We finally got our butts up the hill and venture across the island in the morning before checking out. The forest paths were lined with spider webs, which seemed like good spots for spider hunting!

Behind the scenes photos courtesy of James and my Galaxy S4. 🙂

    Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.) - DSC_7128
  1. Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.)

    I promised Andrew some shots of the Golden Orb Weaver . Yogi likes to put them on his face to entertain the kids. Maybe that’s why I hear occasional screams coming from the Kids Club?

  2. neIMG_9598
  3. neIMG_9598″>

    That’s me trying to get a nice shot of the Golden Orb Weavers

  4. Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.) - DSC_7139
  5. Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.)

    Didn’t manage to get much nice shots as the Golden Orb Weaver tends to make micro-movements, making it almost impossible to shoot long exposures.

  6. Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.) - DSC_7149
  7. Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.)

    The Golden Orb Weaver is harmless to humans

  8. Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.) - DSC_7162
  9. Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.)

    The male Golden Orb Weaver , over 20 times smaller than the females above.

  10. DSC_7155
  11. DSC_7155″>

    A hilarious shot of James taking pictures of the Golden Orb Weaver Spider, wrapping him with my flashes.

  12. Some kind of sticky fruit - DSC_7158
  13. Some kind of sticky fruit

    Lots of these unidentified sticky fruits on the sandy path

  14. Some kind of sticky fruit - DSC_7161
  15. Some kind of sticky fruit

    Looking up close could tell us why it was so sticky!

  16. Tiger Beetle (Cicindelinae) - DSC_7169
  17. Tiger Beetle (Cicindelinae)

    Found this Tiger Beetle again in front of the cabin

  18. Tiger Beetle (Cicindelinae) - DSC_7171
  19. Tiger Beetle (Cicindelinae)

    The wings seemed out of position, but it was definitely flying fast!!

  20. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) - DSC_7178
  21. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)

    Oh.. what’s this? A tiny blob of dung? Yep that’s part of my finger at the side

  22. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) - DSC_7182
  23. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)

    Turns out to be a male Orb Web Spider . These males tend to be really small!

  24. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae) - DSC_7185
  25. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae)

    There were many Big-Jawed Spiders on the path up the hill

  26. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae) - DSC_7192
  27. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae)

    Did I mention that there were many Big-Jawed Spiders ???

  28. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae) - DSC_7193
  29. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae)

    The Big-Jawed Spiders came in many shapes, and this mother is actually busy guarding her soon-to-be-hatched young. If you stare hard enough, you can probably see the legs of the spiderlings in the egg sac.

  30. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae) - DSC_7194
  31. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae)

    Another view of the mother Big-Jawed Spider

  32. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae) - DSC_7201
  33. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae)

    Side view of the mother Big-Jawed Spider

  34. Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae) - DSC_7204
  35. Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae)

    James found this huge Two-Tailed Spider

  36. Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae) - DSC_7207
  37. Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae)

    Full view of the Two-Tailed Spider

  38. Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae) - DSC_7212
  39. Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae)

    A lovely specimen of the Two-Tailed Spider makes a good photo for a book that I’m working on.

  40. Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae) - DSC_7213
  41. Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae)

    Slightly angled view of the Two-Tailed Spider

  42. Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae) - DSC_7217
  43. Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae)

    The reason why it is called the Two-Tailed Spider: extraordinarily long spinnerets lined with spigots.

  44. Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae) - DSC_7222
  45. Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae)

    The reason for many Big-Jawed Spiders along the path.. mating pairs!

  46. Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae) - DSC_7225
  47. Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae)

    Big-Jawed Spiders , male on the left, female on the right. The male is trying to insert it’s palps into the female’s epigyne.

  48. Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae) - DSC_7238
  49. Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae)

    Big-Jawed Spiders mating. The male has successfully inserted the palp! (see the black thingy at the bottom of the female)

  50. Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae) - DSC_7239
  51. Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae)

    Closer view of the p̶o̶r̶n̶ educational posture

  52. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) - DSC_7242
  53. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)

    This Orb Web Spider was also very common, and also the culprit for the many lines of silk criss-crossing the jungle path.

  54. neIMG_0746
  55. neIMG_0746″>

    I had to wave a magic wand for every step that I took to remove the silk from getting stuck onto my face

  56. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) - DSC_7254
  57. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)

    We also found several variants of this Orb Web Spider

  58. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) - DSC_7268
  59. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)

    Really many variants!

  60. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae) - DSC_7277
  61. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae)

    For records purposes, I took photos of most of the Big-Jawed Spiders that I saw

  62. neIMG_0742
  63. neIMG_0742″>

    View down a “valley” from the hill

  64. Remnants of a wasp - DSC_7278
  65. Remnants of a wasp

    Remnants of a wasp that I found on the ground

  66. Remnant of a wasp - DSC_7318
  67. Remnant of a wasp

    I knew it was a wasp… because I found the head more than 20 meters away! Wonder what it was attacked by…?

  68. Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae) - DSC_7279
  69. Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae)

    Male Daddy-Long-Legs Spider with bright red and yellow abdomen

  70. Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae) - DSC_7281
  71. Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae)

    Huge palps.. all ready to mate!

  72. neIMG_9728
  73. neIMG_9728″>

    James tried a fish-eye view of the forest and caught me staring at the canopy

  74. Crab Spider (Thomisidae) - DSC_7308
  75. Crab Spider (Thomisidae)

    Cute little Crab Spider found on the foliage

  76. Crab Spider (Thomisidae) - DSC_7314
  77. Crab Spider (Thomisidae)

    Somehow this Crab Spider reminded me of Micheangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles….

  78. Cricket (Gryllidae) - DSC_7325
  79. Cricket (Gryllidae)

    I skipped many of these Crickets , but James told me that the under-developed wings looked quite pretty. True enough!

  80. Jumping Spider (Salticidae) - DSC_7455
  81. Jumping Spider (Salticidae)

    A beautiful Jumping Spider

  82. Jumping Spider (Salticidae) - DSC_7459
  83. Jumping Spider (Salticidae)

    Looking left…

  84. Jumping Spider (Salticidae) - DSC_7462
  85. Jumping Spider (Salticidae)

    Looking right…

  86. Jumping Spider (Salticidae) - DSC_7463
  87. Jumping Spider (Salticidae)

    Just not looking at me!

  88. Jumping Spider (Salticidae) - DSC_7487
  89. Jumping Spider (Salticidae)

    Took some time for the Jumping Spider to look at me!

  90. Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae) - DSC_7520
  91. Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae)

    More Daddy-Long-Legs Spiders!

  92. Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae) - DSC_7525
  93. Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae)

    Beautiful patterns on the abdomen of the Daddy-Long-Legs Spider

  94. Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae) - DSC_7537
  95. Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae)

    The palps of the Daddy-Long-Legs Spider were so huge that it was almost covering the face!

  96. Tube Dwelling Spider (Segestriidae) - DSC_7619
  97. Tube Dwelling Spider (Segestriidae)

    One of the more interesting finds of the morning, a Tube Dwelling Spider

  98. Tube Dwelling Spider (Segestriidae) - DSC_7637
  99. Tube Dwelling Spider (Segestriidae)

    View of the eyes of the Tube Dwelling Spider

  100. Tube Dwelling Spider (Segestriidae) - DSC_7647
  101. Tube Dwelling Spider (Segestriidae)

    Dorsal view for the record

  102. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) - DSC_7329
  103. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)

    Male Orb Web Spider

  104. Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.) - DSC_7338
  105. Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.)

    Close up on a Golden Orb Weaver with some tiny flies sucking on it’s carapace!

  106. Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.) - DSC_7339
  107. Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.)

    Wider view of the Golden Orb Weaver

  108. Spiny Back Orb Weaver (Thelacantha sp.) - DSC_7349
  109. Spiny Back Orb Weaver (Thelacantha sp.)

    A cute Spiny Back Orb Weaver

  110. Spiny Back Orb Weaver (Thelacantha sp.) - DSC_7351
  111. Spiny Back Orb Weaver (Thelacantha sp.)

    View of the black face of the Spiny Back Orb Weaver

  112. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) - DSC_7360
  113. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)

    An interesting looking Orb Web Spider . Look closely and you will see the pink streaks on the abdomen.

  114. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) - DSC_7362
  115. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)

    Gotta take more shots of the pink streaks

  116. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) - DSC_7370
  117. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)

    View of the face

  118. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) - DSC_7389
  119. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)

    This Orb Web Spider was more of… red!

  120. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) - DSC_7403
  121. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)

    An obvious male Orb Web Spider because of the enlarged palps

  122. Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.) - DSC_7407
  123. Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.)

    Side view of a Golden Orb Weaver

  124. neIMG_0762
  125. neIMG_0762″>

    Lunch time!

  126. Paper Wasp (Polistes sagittarius) - DSC_7415
  127. Paper Wasp (Polistes sagittarius)

    We were having our lunch when an injured paper wasp was struggling beside us.

  128. Paper Wasp (Polistes sagittarius) - DSC_7417
  129. Paper Wasp (Polistes sagittarius)

    The wings on the Paper Wasp seemed damaged

  130. Paper Wasp (Polistes sagittarius) - DSC_7420
  131. Paper Wasp (Polistes sagittarius)

    The Paper Wasp tried many times to fly off to no avail, so we brought it safely to the side

  132. neIMG_0763
  133. neIMG_0763″>

    Went back to pack our luggage before checking out, and goofed around with the luggage transporter. It refused to move as it was on loose sand, making me look like an idiot.

  134. 20130617_153933
  135. 20130617_153933″>

    James saying good bye to our cabin.

  136. Monitor Lizard - DSC_7423
  137. Monitor Lizard

    While checking out, this baby Monitor Lizard came visiting us

  138. Monitor Lizard - DSC_7425
  139. Monitor Lizard

    Enjoying the sun

  140. Monitor Lizard - DSC_7428
  141. Monitor Lizard

    Decided to stick it’s tongue at me

  142. 20130617_154428
  143. 20130617_154428″>

    Final shot of the bar at our check out!

It had been a tiring but interesting 3 days at Nikoi Island. We did not see an astonishing number of different species of bugs due to the short stay, but it would certainly be worth revisiting – especially the hill trail at night! The mangroves were also excellent locations for sunrise shooters, with many potential foreground subjects that even a non-landscape/sunrise shooter could get some decent shots of. Lastly, being a very private island, there were no city lights for miles and the entire island makes for a great place to shoot the stars and milky way!

The complete album for Day 3 can be viewed here.

Nikoi Island [ Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 ]

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NICKY BAY
Singapore

Hi my name is Nicky Bay. I am a macro photographer, instructor and book author, travelling the world to document the vast micro biodiversity that nature has to offer. Follow my updates and discover with me the incredible beauty and science behind our planet's micro creatures!

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