Portia sp. Namibia [Jumping Spider]

[Westley Price]

Hi All

I don't keep spiders at all, but I do appreciate their beauty...well some of them at least

While walking through my garden today I noted something small and orange moving on a tree's bark. I went close to investigate and found this gorgeous jumping spider trying its best to do the robot dancing moves! But seriously, they move in the strangest manner.

A quick Google search revealed it is likely Portia sp. and most likely Portia schultz. This specimen was about 12mm legspan.

Enjoy and what a beauty!

[Ruan Stander]

I'm not into spiders but jumping spiders fascinate me. I can watch them for hours.
What a gorgeous specimen. From the description it's quite huge for a jumping spider ?

[Westley Price]

Ag I would say 12mm (not cm) legspan is relatively large for a jumping spider, but certainly far from the largest.

The typical ones we get in the house are probably 6mm legspan, but they are a different species.

[Mitton]

Very nice, like the big eyes.

[SteveZi]

very nice photos man - is that with the macro function on a "mik & druk"?

[Westley Price]

Thanx all.

Steve, yeah, it's just the macro functionality for a compact camera. When buying cameras my main prerequisite is that it has an excellent macro function.

I would say macro performance is 80% of my choice.

[Sico]

Awesome Westley. The Salticidae group have some of the most colourful (both in visual and personality aspects) of the arachnid world. They are extremely photogenic if you have a decent macro function. I have found most little muk-en-druk cameras have better macro function that your high end SLR's and DSLR's.
Just for interest, on the eastern side of the sub-continent I have found Jumpers with leg spans of up to 40mm, really beefy little buggers, and they are fantastic to photograph.
The majority of jumpers will also quite happily sit still enough for you to get some good shots, when you can stop them from jumping onto the camera itself though.

[Westley Price]

Thanx for the info Sico

Yeah, these days if you want and "all-rounder" and when your shots are often time sensitive there are some good compact cameras on the market.

I am not sure if anyone noticed, but on the above pictures, the DOF is actually quite large, with the bulk of the spider being in focus. I found that with many compact cameras the DOF in macro mode is quite small resulting in the 90% of the subject being out of focus.

I overcame this with my latest camera which has a built-in stacking function; it takes 8 photographs at different focal lengths and combines them into a single picture, all on-board. The 8 pictures are taken within a second (very fast) and the processing takes about 10 seconds. Of course to do this you have to have a tripod or steady hand and the subject has to be still as well.

Works like a charm.

[Ruan Stander]

Westley, yes the little black ones that are commonly seen is my reference for comparison.

Sico, 40mm, that is massive ! I would actually be keen on keeping one of such a size.

[reptile]

Oh Wow! Helps with an ID for me! Found two of those a while ago.

[Bushviper]

If this genus could grow to the size of a rain spider they would be the ultimate pet spider. Without a doubt the most intelligent spider around and I think they are the most interesting.

[Ruan Stander]

Couldn't agree more with you on that one Bushviper.