Aw, Gnats!

Here's an excerpt of a conversation with my husband in which he asks a rhetorical question:

Husband: Do you want to see a really huge spider?
Me: YEAH!

The really huge spider was in the hatchway to the basement, but I will show it to you later, so the arachnophobes can miss it. If you are an arachnophobe, SKIP THE ARACHNID APPRECIATION PART OF TODAY'S POST! For everyone else, this is one gorgeous spider coming up.

Okay, now for the Backyard Bug of the Day:

It's a gnat. I guess that's all there is to say about it.

Random Bugs:

 As you may have guessed, I had a hard time finding bugs today (the temperature was down in the 20s overnight, and the high today was only in the 40s). When this one flew past me and landed, WHOO HOO!

 I think this is the same one that was BBotD yesterday. But here it is on a leaf, and I was actually able to get a closer shot because it was not in the crevice of a chair, and it wasn't moving.

 In this shot you can see threads like spider silk on the leaf, and it actually looks like the bug is underneath them. But maybe it spun those threads itself? It wasn't dead, and it wasn't struggling.

 Suddenly I am finding a lot of springtails. Well, maybe not a lot, but I am finding them daily.

 Here's another insect eye test. This one is pretty easy...

 I did see a lot of these insects today, but they were swarming, and then it would be like they disappeared, because they would all land somewhere in the grass and I couldn't see where. But I spotted this one as it landed on a leaf.

 When I went down to see the spider in the basement hatchway I found some other interesting things. We have these in the hatchway a lot. I don't know if they are cocoons, or egg cases, or what. I have never seen one being made, and I have never seen what comes out of them.

 I found this, too. I am guessing it was prey to one of the many spiders that have made the hatchway their home.

Now for Awesome Arachnid Appreciation!!!
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 We'll warm up with some more ordinary spiders... not that they aren't great, too.

 This one was also in the hatchway.

Aaaand... here's the huge, awesome spider in the basement hatchway!

 In case you're wondering, the leg span is a couple of inches across. It's it gorgeous? I love the pattern on the abdomen and cephalothorax!

The spider was on the wall, so technically this picture is sideways, but it's easier to look at this way. Note also the thing on the left - one of the cocoon-like things I posted a picture of above.