Mirror spider

Wow! Ick. Oooh. Whaaaaaaat. No. No. NOPE. That pretty much summarizes my reactions while looking at these incredible macro shots of spiders photographed by Nicky Bay who lives and works in Singapore. The boundless biodiversity found on the country’s several islands includes a vast array of insects and arachnids, many of which Bay has painstakingly documented up close with his macro photography and published on his blog and Flickr account. More

Mirror Spider

For the last several years Singapore-based photographer Nicky Bay (previously here and here) has been documenting the life of the mirror spider, an unusual arthropod whose abdomen is covered in bright reflective panels that appear almost metallic. Bay recently noticed that some of the spiders exhibit unusual behavior in addition to their shiny appearance: apparently the spiders are able manipulate the mirrors in situations where they might feel threatened. More

Go ahead, yell 'FAKE' at your computer screen. Make our day.

For several years, I have been observing the odd behavior of the Mirror Spider (Thwaitesia sp.) where the "silver-plates" on the abdomen seem to shrink when the spider is agitated (or perhaps threatened), revealing the actual abdomen. At rest, the silver plates expand and the spaces between the plates close up to become an almost

God’s amazing creation is full of never-ending surprises

Australia's mirror spiders carry tiny little treasure chests on their abdomens.

Thwaitesia argentiopunctata Thwaitesia argentiopunctata known as the sequined spider, mirror spider, or twin‑peaked Thwaitesia is a species of spider found in all the states of Australia. Body length is around 3 millimetres for males, 4 mm for females. Wikipedia

The mirror plates on the spider can expand and contract. Taken at night in Singapore forest. Content quoted from www.sciencefriday.com/blogs/09… ... Mirror comb-footed spider (Thwaitesia sp.)