# Lounge > Science and Technology >  >  These Are the Most Exquisitely Weird Spiders You Will Ever See

## Sagan

Spiders are among the craftiest and most beautiful of arthropods,  entirely undeserving of their maligned reputation. Some signal their  presence with massive horns or brilliant colors, others attempt to blend  into the scenery. Many spin intricate traps of sticky silk, but some  chase their prey -- or ambush it, bursting out of burrows hidden beneath  Earth's surface. Some spiders are solitary, watching over trembling  webs and waiting for the day when they can mate and cannibalize their  partner. Others live in colonies, dividing chores among hundreds of  individuals. Some spiders are as big as your face -- others can be  mistaken for dewdrops. 

Hanging from the corners of the world, or tucked into its creases,  is a dazzling array of arachnids, mostly going about their lives with  little notice from us humans. 

But some are lucky enough to find themselves in front of  photographer Nicky Bay's lens. Based in Singapore, Bay specializes in  macrophotography -- or taking super close-up images of tiny things.  Trekking through the region's forests or poking around parks at night  have brought him face-to-face with some of the most bizarre and  beautiful spiders we've ever seen. Now, he's captured thousands of  marvelous images that highlight a diverse and incredible world that's  too easily overlooked. "Macro photography opens a window to the micro  world, which exists all around us," said Bay, shown shooting robberflies  on a beach. "Looking up close can often reveal many surprises." 

 
Mirror Spider 
Thwaitesia sp.  
Singapore, July 2013 


Wow. WOW. On July 12, Bay captured this shimmering spider as it  transformed itself from a somewhat rhinestone-studded arachnid (right)  into a solid wall of spider mirror (below). The shiny, reflective  patches on this spider’s abdomen may be produced by guanine crystals,  which can be a source of structural color in arthropods. Also commonly  referred to as a “sequined” spider, the arachnid is a member of the  Thwaitesia genus. In a post on his website, Bay described how the shiny  patches were initially quite small, perhaps because the spider was  agitated. But as it chilled out, the spider's mirrored patches grew and  grew, eventually forming a mesh of beautiful silver cells. 

 Much more:

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/20...1&viewall=true

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## Antidote

That's so bizarre. They look fake.

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## ev0ker

hm.. just curious, have you read this article from other sources aside from wired.com?

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## Sagan

No I just stumbled upon it and thought it worth sharing.

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