Buzz
Spiders often get a bad reputation in the animal world, commonly being described as 'creepy,' 'chilling,' and even 'frightening.' For some, the fear runs so deep that it becomes a phobia, affecting about 6% of us. The rest of us may just tolerate them. Their fearsome image is not helped by their hairy legs, numerous eyes, and venomous fangs. No wonder they’re a fixture in cheesy horror films and Halloween decorations.
However, some spiders are surprisingly attractive. While most of us probably won’t be buying plush versions of these spiders to cuddle with, it’s hard to deny their beauty.
10. Sparklemuffin
Like many Peacock spiders, Maratus jactatus performs a complex courtship dance marked by leg kicks. Imagine a Rockette who forgot to shave her legs. We'll encounter another Peacock spider later. In 2014, Madeline Girard, a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, identified this new species in southeast Queensland, Australia. She affectionately named the species 'Sparklemuffin.'
Mr. Sparklemuffin has a brilliant blue and red iridescent belly flap that he raises like a vibrant fan to attract the attention of a potential mate. When he's not performing leg kicks, he uses his legs and seven other limbs to rhythmically tap out a courtship dance. Picture a fan and tap dance, with can-can leg movements. Fortunately for him, Ms. Sparklemuffin, with her eight eyes, has a wide field of vision to appreciate this dance and the motion. Unfortunately for him, if she doesn't like his performance, she may eat him. Only four of her eyes are focused forward, with the rest placed in such a way that gives her a 360-degree view, along with a much broader range of color perception than humans possess.
Just as striking as Sparklemuffin's playful courtship is the fact that his small size belies his boldness. At only 4 mm (1/6 of an inch), Sparklemuffin is small enough to comfortably sit on the tip of your pinkie’s fingernail.
9. Brazilian Crab Spider
Epicadus heterogaster belongs to the crab spider family, named for its long front legs that curve forward instead of downward, giving it a crab-like appearance. These spiders are also capable of moving sideways and backwards like crabs. Unlike many spiders, crab spiders don't spin webs but wait patiently for insects to venture close enough for an ambush.
Epicadus heterogaster employs two distinct strategies for survival. The juvenile spider blends into its surroundings by sitting on flowers that match its color—white, yellow, or purple. Additionally, it has a protruding abdomen that resembles flower petals, and its slow, jerky movements mimic the swaying of foliage in the wind.
An adult Epicadus heterogaster can also attract insects with a body color that reflects ultraviolet (UV) light. This was revealed by scientists who applied sunscreen to the back of a female spider and noticed that insects ignored it. While the reason UV reflective light draws pollinating insects remains unclear, it is possible that it mimics the UV color patterns or natural bright spots found on flowers.
8. Gooty Sapphire Ornamental Metallic Blue Tarantula
Originally classified in 1899 as Poecilotheria metallica after being discovered in the Gooty train yard in south-central India, this tarantula virtually vanished for 102 years. It was rediscovered in 2001 in a small, 100 sq. km (39 sq. mile) forested region in Andhra Pradesh’s Kadapa and Chittoor districts. This tarantula quickly became a sought-after pet for enthusiasts. However, this is both a blessing and a curse for this striking species. Due to deforestation and human development, Andhra Pradesh's forests are rapidly deteriorating, placing the Gooty Sapphire on the critically endangered list. Tragically, after its rediscovery, poachers began capturing these spiders for sale. It is now illegal to remove Gooty Sapphires from their natural habitat, although buying domesticated spiders and breeding them is still allowed. Their growing popularity in Europe and the US might offer hope for the species' survival.
In their natural environment, Gooty Sapphires construct funnel-shaped webs in tree holes, where they wait to ambush unsuspecting insects. They use their venomous ¾ inch fangs to bite their prey. This makes the Gooty Sapphire best suited for experienced tarantula enthusiasts as pets. These spiders are known to be aggressive and quick. While their venom is typically not fatal to humans, their bites are painful and can cause headaches and elevated heart rates lasting for up to a week.
The deep blue and yellow hues of the Gooty Sapphire don't come from traditional coloring but from tiny nanostructures on the spider’s hairs that bend and reflect blue and yellow light. As a result, the Gooty Sapphire changes color depending on the angle from which it is viewed, a phenomenon known as iridescence. This same trait is found in peacocks and dragonflies.
7. Sequined or Mirror Spider
Another spider native to Australia, Thwaitesia nigronodosa, can be found in Queensland’s rainforests. Like many members of the Thwaitesia genus, it is commonly known as the Sequined Spider or Mirror Spider, owing to its disco ball-like rear. Its abdomen is filled with specialized cells called guanocytes, which contain a crystallized form of guanine, a waste product the spider would typically excrete. The guanine reflects light, giving the spider’s rear a shiny, silver appearance, and together these cells create a sort of waste mosaic. This glimmering behind is especially useful for camouflage among the dewy, rain-drenched foliage of the rainforest.
The Mirror Spider has another clever defense strategy: if disturbed or needing to quickly drop from its web, it can hide the guanocyte cells, causing its body to take on a duller color, resembling the muddy forest floor. The exact mechanism for this transformation is unclear, but it’s believed the spider contracts muscles that cover the guanocytes. Essentially, it’s a form of butt clenching.
6. Elegant Golden Jumping Spider
The exquisite chrysilla lauta has been known for over 130 years, but due to its rarity and minuscule size – just a few millimeters in length – much remains unknown about this beautiful creature. We can’t say for sure if its brilliant iridescent hues are meant for camouflage or to attract a mate. Even the appearance of the female of the species remains a mystery.
What we do know is that chrysilla lauta belongs to the jumping spider family, and the few videos we have of it show that this tiny creature is an exceptional long jumper. There are over 5,000 species of jumping spiders, which make up about 13 percent of all spider species. Despite lacking leg muscles, they can leap 50 times their own length through hydraulic motion. Their furry legs also give them grip on almost any surface, including glass. These spiders are typically found in the jungles of China, Burma, and Vietnam.
5. Eight-Spotted Crab Spider
Platythomisus octomaculatus, one of the largest crab spiders in the world, can reach a size of 7.6 cm (3 inches). Despite their size, these spiders remain quite elusive in the wilds of Southeast Asia, spanning regions from India to Burma to Singapore.
The name 'Eight-spotted' can be confusing when counting the spider’s spots. When German arachnologist Carl Koch first named this species octomaculatus (with 'octo' meaning eight) in 1845, it’s unclear which spots he was referring to. His illustrations show four pairs of abdominal spots, but today, we typically see three pairs plus an elongated bar. To add to the confusion, the number of spots changes as the spider matures. Hatchlings have only two spots, but as they age, they gain more spots on their abdomen, including one large spot underneath. Additionally, the forward part of the spider, known as the carapace, develops six spots, including the distinctive “Panda” spots around the eyes. Even more perplexing, the size of the spots on adult females changes significantly after they lay eggs. This variability has led to numerous misidentifications of species with similar markings.
4. Triangular Spider
For a long time, we knew horseshoe crabs weren't true crabs, but it wasn’t until 2019 that scientists examined its DNA and discovered it is actually a distant relative of spiders and scorpions.
At first glance, comparing the bodies of spiders and crabs might suggest a familial link. Both are arthropods with exoskeletons and jointed legs. Arkys lancearius, a species from the spider crab family, shares similar coloring and an abdomen shape with its crustacean counterparts. Even its legs resemble those of a crab. However, a closer look reveals the key difference: arachnids have eight legs, while crustaceans have ten or more. When we examine the internal anatomy, it's clear that these two creatures aren’t as closely related as they appear.
Like the horseshoe crab, the triangular spider defies easy classification. Since its first description in 1837, Arkys lancearius has been classified in various families, with the debate continuing to this day. Found commonly in the warm climates of Australia and New Zealand, these spiders come in a range of colors: red, yellow, orange, brown, black, and white. As ambush hunters, they use their webbing more for safety lines than for catching prey.
3. Maratus Madelineae
Maratus Madelineae may not have received a bold name like its relative, Sparklemuffin, but the story behind its species name highlights the surge in interest surrounding peacock spiders over the past decade.
The peacock spider, known scientifically as the genus Maratus, was first documented back in 1874. At that time, its shimmering belly flaps were mistakenly thought to be wings. While these spiders are quite common in Australia, research on them was sparse for over 130 years, with only five additional species identified in that period. Everything changed in 2005 when Jurgen Otto, a mite expert from the Australian Department of Agriculture, spotted a tiny brown speck hopping around during a bushwalk. Otto, an entomologist who focused on six-legged insects, had never heard of a peacock spider. He brought it to Julianne Waldock, an arachnologist at the West Australia Museum. Waldock, who had spent years studying Maratus, was the one who realized these little spiders weren’t hoisting their colors to fly but were instead performing a dance to attract mates.
Otto became captivated by these spiders and brought home over 300 peacock spiders. As an avid photographer, he captured their beauty in stunning images, which soon caught the attention of David Hill, a jumping spider expert from South Carolina. In 2011, Otto filmed a peacock spider's dance using a macro lens and posted it on YouTube, paired with the Bee Gees’ song 'Staying Alive' and some photoshopped maracas. The video went viral, amassing 7.5 million views as people were enchanted by the charming little creature.
In the same year, Otto and Hill identified and named their first new Maratus species. Over the next eight years, they would discover and name 46 more species, while Waldock named nine. Otto’s viral video also inspired numerous amateur scientists and photographers to flock to Australia in search of these tiny dancers. One such photographer, Stuart Harris, posted a picture of a peacock spider on Flickr, only to learn it was a previously unknown species, leading to the naming of Maratus Harrisi in his honor. Otto has a species named after him (Maratus Ottoi), as does Waldock (Maratus Julianneae). Maratus Madelineae was named after Madeline Girard, who coined the name 'Sparklemuffin' for another peacock spider. By 2019, 71 new species of peacock spiders had been identified and named.
When Maratus Madelineae performs its dance, it doesn’t just raise one leg like Sparklemuffin; instead, it lifts two legs above its head and waves them about, almost as if it’s showing off. Sometimes, it brings the legs together as if clapping. Just below its eyes, where we would expect a mouth, are its secondary legs called pedipalps, or palps. For Maratus Madelineae, these palps are white and covered in fine hairs, resembling the beard of an elderly man. As it dances, it bobs these palps in rhythm, creating the amusing illusion of an old man chewing on dentures. In its video, it looks a bit like a grandpa trying to do the hokey-pokey.
For those few who may want a cuddly spider, there is actually a felted, wool-stuffed Maratus Madelineae available for purchase. You can even find a plush Sparklemuffin to add to your collection.
2. Cat-faced Spider
Araneus gemmoides, an orb-weaving spider, is commonly known as the Cat-faced spider due to the two horn-like projections on its abdomen that resemble a cat’s ears. Just below these horns are eye-like dimples with striated markings on either side, mimicking the striped cheeks of a tabby. To further enhance the feline resemblance, the abdomen is covered with tiny, fine hairs. Araneus gemmoides can be found in various colors, ranging from pale yellow to dark gray-brown.
Cat-faced spiders are relatively common across the western United States, found from Alaska to California and as far east as Colorado. Both males and females sport bulbous abdomens, though the female’s abdomen grows even more pronounced after mating—and consuming her mate. By winter, the female dies, leaving behind an egg sac brimming with tiny spiderlings. In spring, the young spiders feed on one another before using silken threads to catch the wind and disperse to new locations. While the venom of Araneus gemmoides is not harmful to humans, its fangs are too small to pierce skin. However, they can deliver a painful pinch to the back of your hand.
1. Long Horned Orb Weaver Spider
Out of the 35,000 spider species, about half use webs to catch their prey. The most iconic of these webs are the radial grid type, featuring concentric circles and radiating spokes. These are often associated with Halloween decorations and are typically crafted by members of the orb weaver family (Araneidae). The term 'orb' may be misleading, as it originally referred to a two-dimensional circle in Old English, not the modern, three-dimensional sphere. With over 3,000 species, the Araneidae family ranks as the third largest among spiders and is the most varied in terms of size and appearance.
To illustrate this, the female Macracantha arcuata flaunts an impressive pair of antenna-like horns on her abdomen. These horns, however, aren’t for picking up sounds, but rather are believed to serve as a defense mechanism to ward off predators. Her abdomen can come in shades of red, white, black, or yellow, and she typically measures about a centimeter long. The male, by contrast, is much smaller, often just a tenth of her size, making him an easy snack for her after mating. Native to the jungles of Southeast Asia, Macracantha arcuata has also found its way to the southeastern United States due to accidental introductions.
