The Most Beautiful Spider in the World (20 pics)
Topic: Animals, Featured, Latest Posts, PhotographyPeople often ask, who is the most beautiful spider in the world?
You are lucky, because I know the answer – it’s the Jumping Spider! (a.k.a Salticidae) I have to admit, I’m being a bit subjective here, because there haven’t been any spider beauty contests yet.
This little spider disprove the stereotype about spiders being ugly and scary (anyone with arachnophobia here?).
Jumpers beauty secret is his 8 big eyes, and besides looking very cute, this little creature is also a very curious one.
I’m giving lots of bamboo leaves for macro photographers – without them, we couldn’t see these incredible macro photos, and now let’s jump to the photos.
(Bamboo leaf for teejaybee via: boredpanda.com)
Jumper can jump 20 to 60 or even 75 to 80 times the length of its body.
Habronattus coecatus – Adult male Jumping Spider Hiding in Leaves
(Bamboo leaf for Opo Terser via: boredpanda.com)
It belongs to the largest family of spiders with about 13% of all species.
Female Jumping Spider
(Bamboo leaf for Opo Terser via: boredpanda.com)
Jumping spiders have a superb vision which is better than any other kind of spider. With his eight eyes a jumper can see in almost every direction at once and is often regarded as nature’s best stalkers – as good as lions and tigers.
Pelegrina pervaga – Adult Male Jumping Spider
(Bamboo leaf for Opo Terser via: boredpanda.com)
Just before it jumps, it tethers a filament of silk to whatever it is standing on. Should it fall for one reason or another, it climbs back up the silk tether.
Asianellus (=Phlegra) festivus
(Bamboo leaf for Lukjonis via: boredpanda.com)
They are generally diurnal, active hunters.
Adult Female Jumping Spider – Phidippus audax
(Bamboo leaf for Opo Terser via: boredpanda.com)
(Bamboo leaf for Opo Terser via: boredpanda.com)
(Bamboo leaf for Opo Terser via: boredpanda.com)
Phidippus clarus – Female
(Bamboo leaf for platycryptus via: boredpanda.com)
Phidippus otiosus
(Bamboo leaf for cotinis via: boredpanda.com)
Unidentified Jumper
(Bamboo leaf for tombunny via: boredpanda.com)
Adult Male Hentzia palmarum Jumping Spider
(Bamboo leaf for Opo Terser via: boredpanda.com)
Unidentified Jumping Spider
(Bamboo leaf for kevincollins123 via: boredpanda.com)
In contrast to other arachnids, the jumping spider is regarded as inquisitive as it is seemingly interested in whatever approaches it.
Sitticus fasciger Jumping Spider
(Bamboo leaf for Opo Terser via: boredpanda.com)
Adult male Paraphidippus aurantius Jumping Spider
(Bamboo leaf for Opo Terser via: boredpanda.com)
Jumping spiders are known for their curiosity. If approached by a human hand, instead of scuttling away to safety as most spiders do, the jumping spider will usually leap and turn to face the hand. Further approach may result in the spider jumping backwards while still eyeing the hand. The tiny creature will even raise its forelimbs and hold its ground. It might even jump on the hand.
Adult Female Jumping Spider – Phidippus mystaceus
(Bamboo leaf for Opo Terser via: boredpanda.com)
(Bamboo leaf for Opo Terser via: boredpanda.com)
(Bamboo leaf for Opo Terser via: boredpanda.com)
Unidentified Jumper
(Bamboo leaf for David Panevin via: boredpanda.com)
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Date posted: Oct 13th, 2009 | By Bored Panda
These are amazingly beautiful creatures.
What cute spiders! They look like little monsters out of a fantasy world!
Yeah – these are absolutely amazing! And beautiful photography as well. Thanks for sharing them! I used to rear some of these spiders years ago, and those eyes always get me – especially when they stare at you. Like cuttlefish, there almost seems to be something going on behind those eyes! A very strong sense of awareness.
This Gives US meaning to the only thing to Fear is Fear Itself!
I’m sorry, but those are still gross and deserved to be smooshed.
Ima, it’s thanks to spiders that the entire world isn’t affected by malaria. Many of the harmful bugs that carry diseases and parasites are eaten by spiders, making them very precious hunters to humankind. More people die every day of malaria, which is carried by mosquitoes than in an entire year by spider bites. Spiders eat mosquitoes. Reason enough to save the spiders? I think so. You may not like to look at them, but for heaven’s sake let them live so they can help us live too.
So I see the 4 eyes in front but where are the other 4?
man i hate those things aaggh!!!
@ Steve
You can see them most clearly on the 3rd pic from the bottom.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_9F9_RUESS2E/StJHpzgXL6I/AAAAAAAABWo/VmMTlXfgXCM/s800/Jumping-Spider-most-beuatiful-spider-in-the-world-11.jpg
One pair is very small behind the large four eyes up front, and the last pair is near the back of the head.
I love jumping spiders. Their behavior is so intriguing, and they’re built like finely tuned robots….
I can’t believe they didn’t include the peacock spider – winner by far!!
http://www.my7475.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/my747509113006.jpg
Those are not beautiful creatures. They are arachnids with glassy vacant eyes. I will not dispute the beauty of macro photography, but these spiders are just spiders. They have eight legs and they eat insects. They would have no qualms about laying eggs in your urethra or some other cavity if they got the chance.
Spiders don’t lay eggs in the bodies of other living things. Spiders lay eggs inside a sheet of tough silk which is attached to their webs that are guarded by females. Some also carry the sacks with them until they hatch.
Source: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05512.html
Also, bottlenosed dolphins. Cute? Yes. Another little fact is that males will travel in pods and corner a female to rape. They also have no qualms with engaging in sexual acts with humans either :3
beautiful but I still hate bugs.
It is unfortunate that some people have a negative feeling about these incredible animals. They are really very similar to other Bilateria in most ways, from the use of HOX genes to lay out the anterior-posterior body pattern, to their use of opsins in vision. On the other hand, they are wonderfully miniaturized creatures when compared to vertebrates, and the structure of even a single seta on these spiders is a thing of beauty and symmetry. Every school group that I have introduced to them has come away, to a person, with a greater respect and interest. Some send me pictures that they have drawn. One wrote “I didn’t know that spiders could be so cool.” The neat thing about salticids is that it is so easy to discern their use of information as they actively move about. Just yesterday I was watching an adult male Thiodina sylvana take 25 cm jumps (not horizontal!) to reach sighted leaves, as it moved through vegetation in search of females. In fact, the best way to find a female of this species is to follow a male looking for one. Like humans, they turn to face objects that they look at. These diurnal creatures are terrific subjects for the study of behavior.
Some people are queasy about the ‘eight-leggedness’ of these animals. To children, I point out that we humans have 20 segmented appendages out at the ends of our 4 main appendages. Strange perhaps to think about, but once you think of the ‘strangeness’ of our own life form you have a better chance of appreciating a diversity of forms and solutions.
Curiously, as those who pursue the graduate study of spiders usually learn, ‘arachnophobia’ is just as prevalent among zoologists as it is in the general population. Fortunately, anyone can learn the art of objective observation, and the many rewards that it brings to the inquiring mind.
Wow, amazing photos! They are some really fantastic shots, I don’t think I have ever seen such good detailed photos of spiders up close. Great camera work.
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE JUMPING SPIDERS AND I HAVE 11 OF EM IN A HUGE FISH TANK. THEY R SOO CUTE WITH THEIR PUPPUDOG EYES AND ALL.