Last week I did a posting entitled “Kleptoparasitic Spider“ that talked of the little spiders that hang around a larger spider’s web and steal or feed on the prey captured by the other spider. Today I managed to take a much clearer shot of one such spider. I am pretty sure the little spider below is of the genus Argyrodes, which are also known as dewdrop spiders.
The spider was positioned in such a way that I was able to get close enough to use my 100mm macro lens, although there was not really enough room for me to shoot with a tripod. I was able to close down only to F10 because I was shooting handheld and wanted to have a shutter speed of 1/200 sec, so depth of field suffered a little. I have found that depth of field is a problem with spiders most of the time because of the length and positioning of their legs.
This spider was really tiny and I am happy that I was able to get this good a photo of it. The portions of the web that are visible help to add an interesting geometric pattern to the background, which I think enhances the image.
Dewdrop spider (genus Agyrodes)
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Good shot, Mike. In this light it looks almost metallic, and what wonderful colors!
Thanks. The color actually appeared to me a metallic silver when I was shooting, which caused a lot of glare. I ended up sticking a diffusion panel in the grass to soften the direct sunlight. Handheld macro is still a challenge for me, but I’m learning some things (like the fact that I cannot hold the lens as steady at slow shutter speeds as I can with other lens).
Yes, handheld macro is a serious challenge. Any stabilizing element (a knee, an elbow, a rock, a beanbag) can be a great help. Have you ever used a Gorillapod? The high-end one (around $50) supports an SLR with a moderate zoom lens and its articulating legs can wrap around almost anything. Add a ball head and you’re in 7th heaven for macros.
Finding such a spider is now at the top of my to-do list. Quite interesting.
Good luck in searching. They are really tiny. My only recommendation is that you look carefully in the areas surrounding a spider web you find and you may find other spiders.
I need to think other spiders besides my resident garden spider and the crab spiders. It’s on my to-do list for today.
She’s a beauty!