Subject: Love Webspinners (the saga continues)
Location: Henderson, Nevada
December 21, 2014
Hi Daniel,
Sorry this is so long but I have an update on my Webspinner Dynasty ;-).
I had to create a Family Tree to keep them all straight. The tree goes as follows:
1. Wilma 12/20/12 – the bravest and least skittish. Wilma tunneled out from the toilet base and often stood up at the end of the tunnel looking for a male. I still don’t know how she came to be in my bathroom to begin with, though we did discover a hole in the exterior of the house on the porch that matched the area of the toilet.
2. Wanda 7/1/2013 – Wilma’s daughter created through asexual reproduction. Wanda was skittish and would stay only in the grout space I called the “front yard”.
3. Wendy 9/1/2013 – Wanda’s daughter created through asexual reproduction. Wendy was also skittish but would peek over the grout wall of the “front yard”.
4. Wynona 11/21/2013 – the adventurer/explorer. Wynona was Wendy’s daughter created through asexual reproduction. Wynona was awesome to observe. She built and almost connected a tunnel completely around the outside of the base of the toilet. She also started a tunnel up the front of the toilet a couple of inches. She nearly connected the “front yard” to the other grout space area I called” the backyard”. Wynona was all over the place.
5. Wylie 3/13/2014 – I saved Wylie from a water-dish on the back porch. He would have drowned but revived after I saved him with my finger. I wasn’t sure if he would find Wynona but I placed him at the opening of the tunnel going up the front of the toilet and to my surprise he immediately twisted himself around to go down the tunnel.
6. Walt – another male webspinner saved from the water-dish on the back porch. I introduced him to Wynona’s front yard where he immediately disappeared under the linoleum.
7. Winnie 4/4/14 – Winnie was skittish and possibly the daughter of Wylie or Walt and Wynona.
8. Willie – another male webspinner rescued from the water-dish that disappeared under the toilet through the front yard grout area.
On 4/19/14 I had to call in a plumber to replace the wax ring on the toilet and I was worried about Winnie, Willie and any possible off-spring. When the plumber picked up the toilet – I told him to not harm any bugs found underneath. (I don’t know what he thought was under there but he jumped back after he pulled up the toilet – LOL!) I did see Winnie hiding against the grout wall of the linoleum and then she went under the linoleum before I could catch her. If bugs can be surprised she certainly seemed surprised. A few days later, Winnie appeared.
On 7/2/14 I saw a Spider Intruder. A couple of times over the last year and a half, different black house spiders would find their way to the web-tunnels around the toilet. I worried that the spiders would eat the webspinners so I would catch them to put them outside. The last one got away under the toilet so my husband sealed the hole on the porch and I waited for several days before seeing a webspinner alive and well.
9 & 10. TWINS: Wilfred & Willard – 7/21/14. Until the twins made an appearance, I had never seen 2 webspinners at one time. I believe the twins were Winnie and Willie’s offspring. I was fairly sure they were males because they made appearances as immature light brown webspinners. The females only showed themselves as black adults, no doubt looking for mates. Also, the young webspinners could turn around in the web tunnels which is a male behavior and which females never do.
11. ACTUALLY TRIPLETS!!: Enter Wilbert. Another immature male webspinner.
13. Wilda – Not sure if Wilda started out as a male and then became a female or if she was a 4th offspring of Winnie and Willie. Wilda always stayed around the back-yard grout area.
14. Wally – 7/12/14 rescued Wally from the water-dish and put him in the back-yard grout area where he disappeared looking for Wilda.
15. Waldo – 7/19/14 offspring of Wally and Wilda. Another light brown immature male. Waldo was ready to fly on 8/15/14 so I caught him and released him outside.
16. Wilbur – 8/13/14 offspring of Wally and Wilda. Wilbur also stayed in the backyard grout area. Wilbur was ready to fly by 9/16/14 so I caught him and released him on the rose bush in the front yard.
Apparently, Wilbur was the last of the dynasty. I can’t believe how much I miss them. I’m working on a webspinner children’s book which may help children to realize the value of a bug. The webspinners were with me from 12/20/12 until 9/16/14 – almost 2 years!! I’ve learned that it is possible to get attached to specific insects and that they have their own unique personalities and habits.
Thought you’d like to know ;-). I’m attaching a few pictures (this time 😉 ):
1. Wynona building the tunnel up the front of the toilet.
2. The “twins in tandem” in Wynona’s web that goes around the base of the toilet.
3. Waldo saying “goodbye” as I released him outside.
Always,
Kathi
Hi there Kathi,
Thanks so much for your wonderful update on your Webspinner dynasty. Good luck with your book. As with your previous Love Webspinners submission, we are tagging this posting with the Bug Humanitarian Award.