This isn’t a stained-glass sculpture or piece of delicate jewelry – it’s a real live spider. These spiders, called mirror or sequined spiders, are all members of several different species of the thwaitesia genus, which features spiders with reflective silvery patches on their abdomen.
The scales look like solid pieces of mirror glued to the spider’s back, but they can actually change size depending on how threatened the spider feels. The reflective scales are composed of reflective guanine, which these and other spiders use to give themselves color.
Not much information is available about these wonderful spiders, but the dazzling specimens in these photos were photographed primarily in Australia and Singapore.
Image credits: Nicky Bay
Image credits: Nicky Bay
Image credits: Andrew Ker
Image credits: Robert Whyte
Image credits: Nicky Bay
Image credits: Robert Whyte
Image credits: Nicky Bay
Image credits: Nicky Bay
For an arachnolover who used to raise 'em in my bedroom growing up to prevent tiny flying tormentors from my always open window, these beauts are adorned properly. Still not as pretty as my pet red tarantual, who I trained to crawl over a pencil to get its treat. Loved that thing. had it for over 5 years then gave it to the zoo when we moved.
For an arachnolover who used to raise 'em in my bedroom growing up to prevent tiny flying tormentors from my always open window, these beauts are adorned properly. Still not as pretty as my pet red tarantual, who I trained to crawl over a pencil to get its treat. Loved that thing. had it for over 5 years then gave it to the zoo when we moved.
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