Webnesday (28)

Last week, on a fine late afternoon, I sat down on one of the stone walls behind the house and quietly observed the tiny jungle of foliage that grows around it.  I was hoping to catch sight of a new jumping spider or two and I was not disappointed, though they were very small and quite shy.  As I was trying to gain the confidence of one of them so that I could get close enough for a decent photo, I noticed a bit of movement nearby, and this beauty came slowly out into the relative open.  It wasn’t nearly as shy as the object of my first attention, and allowed me to lie prone and approach it inch by inch until I was able to get this full-on portrait shot.  I’m pretty sure it’s a wolf spider, of the family Lycosidae. Once again, patience rewarded (with more than a little luck as well–thanks, again, Frances).