Arachnids on stamps: Belgium (2023)

Friday, October 7, 2022

Belgium (2023)

Date of issue: August 28th, 2023

Name of issue: Splendeur des araignées (Spiders splendor)
Number of arachnid related stamps in issue: 5/5

Wonderful artwork, here are the details from the first day cover that I translated from French (there is an article from their magazine at the bottom of this post that I will translate eventually).

This series takes us in the fascinating world of spiders and concentrates on a few colorful species.

Many people are scared of spiders, but it is often the unknown that scares us. These animals are in reality extremely useful since they get rid of unwanted insects like mosquitos for example.

For the creation of this series, we are discovering the most beautiful species that live in our country.

The Variable Thomise (Misumena vatia) is part of the crab-spiders family. The female measures roughly 7 to 11 mm and the mâle 3 to 5 mm. This spider has the ability to change color; this technic allows it to trick predators. This is an ambush hunting spider. It can remain motionless for hours waiting for a prey to get close enough for it's reach. It then grabs it and injects it's venom through small holes. Next, it injects it's digestive fluids that liquifies the insides of the insect. After that, it can aspirate the content. An empty shell is the only thing left after it's meal.

Michel #:
order: Araneae
family: Thomisidae
Misumena vatia (Clerck, 1757)

The Emerald Micrommate (Micrommata virescens) belongs to the Sparassidae family also known as Hunting Crab-Spiders. This species hunts it's preys during the day and does not build web. The female has a longitudinal red and yellow band on it's abdomen and measures from 8 to 10mm. Once mating is completed, the female builds a cocoon between leaves or grass and barely leaves that nest. The babies leave the nest after one week and the female can resume hunting. They can be found in the herbaceous and grass layer of humid zones, close to forests and in the humid limits of forests.

Michel #: ?
order: Araneae
family: Sparassidae
Micrommata virescens (Clerck, 1757)

The Swollen Thomise (Thomisus onustus), that also belongs to the crab-spiders family, is specialized in the art of camouflage. It changes colors depending of the flower it is standing on and can take on many different shades. The Swollen Thomise does not build web, but hunts it's prey. It hides in a flower and waits for an insect to come and collect the pollen or nectar. It then catches it's prey and kills it with a bite. It's two front pairs of legs allows it to grab the insect and it uses it's two back pairs to secure itself tightly on the flower.

Michel #:?
order: Araneae
family: Thomisidae
Thomisus onustus Walckenaer, 1805

The Diadem Spider (Araneus diadematus), well known, belongs to the Araneidae family. This spider builds a web from non sticky strings placed as rays on which lays a spiral constituted of sticky strands on which preys become stuck. The Diadem Spider builds it's web close to the ground or in the low branches of trees or bushes and often positions itself at the center. It is easily recognized by it's cross pattern located on it's abdomen. Females often reach 17mm not including the legs. Males measure approximately 10mm. The Diadem Spider is very useful to humans since it catches many insects that we consider undesirable like flies, mosquitos and wasps.

Michel #: ?
order: Araneae
family: Araneidae
Araneus diadematus Clerck, 1757

Finally, there is the Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi). It also belongs to the Araneidae family. It's striped yellow and black coloration makes it impossible to distinguish it from grass. This spider builds it's web close to the ground in the herbs or among the grass and positions in the middle of it's construction waiting for a prey. Once a prey stuck it it's web, the spider rolls it with silk until it is wrapped. It kills it's victims with a venomous bite. Even if it's camouflage is a clear message to it's predators, it is in fact completely harmless. Before the end of the summer, the female starts working and builds a brown cocoon of a paper like material. These cocoons resemble a jar and can contain up to 400 eggs. Males are almost always eaten after mating. The females measure approximately 15mm, while males measure 5mm maximum, are brown, more subdued and less often noticed.