#Cute Spider

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Vida's Sheep Jumping Spider: researchers believe that these tiny spiders developed their "woolly" appearance as a way to mimic lacewing larvae or scale insects

The scientific name for this species is Oviballus vidae, but it has also been referred to as the "sheepy jumping spider" or "Vida's jumping spider." It was discovered in 2015, and first described (in a formal context) back in 2020.

As this article (PDF) describes:

Recently, two new salticids, R. legitima and Oviballus vidae were described from South Africa, and suggested to be mimics of either scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) or lacewing larvae (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), due to their white colouration and the presence of peculiar tufts of white setae on the body.

The possibility of [scale insects] being the model is supported by Oviballus vidae being regularly collected from plants with woolly scales, although the movements of O. vidae quite closely resemble those of chrysopid larvae.

In fact, a fourth species of possible scale mimic, a new Rhene species, was recently discovered in a collection of salticids from southern Mozambique, indicating that this phenomenon may be more widespread than has previously been known or even suspected.

O. vidae was named after Vida van der Walt, the photographer who captured some of the first images of these spiders back in 2015, just after the species was discovered by Dr. Galina Azarkina. Vida van der Walt also took the photographs that appear in this post.

Sources & More Info:

Arthropoda Selecta (scientific journal): Rediscovery and Redescription of Rhene cooperi, another possible mimic of scale insects (PDF)

Spider Club of South Africa: Two New Species Named After SA Photographer (PDF, with the relevant info on page 5)

Field Guide to the Spiders of South Africa: Section on Vida's Sheep Jumping Spider

[yanderson]

FIRST LOOK AT GALVANTULA AND JOLTIK IN POKEMON SCARLET AND VIOLET!!!!! Go watch the new indigo disk trailer to see them!!!!!!@!!

[calicoarthropodcrafts]

milkweeding

Found a brilliant jumping spider who I couldn't get good pics of.

This red milkweed beetle fell on its back to escape me. Look at it all scrunched up.

Here's a selection of milkweed fellows

and here are the bees (and one COCK CHAFER)

Mite on a buttercup

[ratbugs]

it’s Boot’s beach day 🏝️

this is her favorite shell 🐚

[cuddlybats]

Lizzy is back <3

�� 2024 Cuddly Bats  

WEBSITE - INSTAGRAM - KO-FI

[critter-catcher]

I recently got a new attachment for my camera and the jumping spiders have never looked so cute!

[apollolabsworld]

Low light orb web spiders

[dimpletheheck]

Tourmaline the spider

(Ok so I forgot that spiders have eight legs, so I guess he's not actually a spider- BUT DON'T TELL HIM THAT)

He is so beautiful~

[3twindragons]

When Wade found a radioactive spider in a lab he couldn't let it stay there. No after he noticed that the spider wrote "trapped" with his webs. The little guy was clearly intelligent and needed saving.

He took it with him and named it George. Now they are making ugly Christmas sweaters while watching the golden girls.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

Meanwhile someone is going into panic mode, after the same radioactive spider that bit him all those years ago, goes missing.

"Agh...damn Parker luck!".

[your-fave-is-being-blended]

blend this man!!!!!!!!!!!!!?!!!!!

This Man is being blended!!

You cannot save him.

[jenfoundabug]

Blurry but super cute <3

Jumping spider in genus Habronattus

Northern California

[frennec-fox]

Cobweb 🕸️

[yanderson]

I GOT ONE !!!

[ratbugs]

howdy pardner

[dead-body12]

I refuse to accept that there are any differences between African Rain Frogs and Black Velvet Spiders

Like these are the same fucking animal just in a slightly different font

[mired-in-halloween]

You Can Be Spooky and still enjoy colorful things

Spooky Spider by HotPinkBlackInk