
Steve Axford
Photographer and Sony ambassador. Regularly presents on the science and beauty of fungi.
Cordyceps
Read MoreFungus spider (possible Beauveria sp. or Sugar Icing Fungus)
A spider caught by fungus. After a little research it would appear that this is likely to be a highly specific fungus, which only attacks the one species of spider – and it may be as specific as a species of huntsman (which this is). This is possible a species of Beauveria fungus which is similar to Metarhizium anisopliae. This is used to, among other things, attack the Australian plague locust. It seems likely that the spider gets infected by the fungus which then takes 10-14 days to kill it. It then continues to grow (like this) and will presumably produce some fruiting bodies. These may not be very prominent as a large mushroom growing out of a spider would probably have been noted by now.
Minyan falls, June 2009
From Northern Rivers
newmy51
on October 29, 2009only seen one other even remotely like this, and it astonished me just as much as yours did. simply amazing.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/primevalnature/3192921025/
Rob
on July 16, 2009I hate when people leave comments like "Nice Capture". But for this one, I gotta say...Nice capture. :) I assume the spider, being infected and dying, wasn't moving too terribly fast for this shot. I like it.