#NewSpecies!
New spider from #china just caught us:

Aculithus languan

Treatment: https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D8C1A8E3-45BB-552D-BB13-79D6866B2FC0
Publication: https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.13.e153747
#BiodiversityDataJournal #AculithusLanguan

#FAIRdata
#science #OA #openaccess #biology #taxonomy #ecology #biodiversity #nature #wildlife #conservation #animals #invertebrates #arachnology #arachnids #spider

Nothing cooler than a cucumber (spider)

#NewSpecies!
New water mite from #china just swam in:

Atractides cardiacus

Treatment: https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0396422E-FFE2-FF89-FE29-871A827AF68C
Publication: https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2025.976.2775
#ejtaxonomy #AtractidesCardiacus

#FAIRdata
#science #OA #openaccess #biology #taxonomy #ecology #biodiversity #nature #wildlife #conservation #animals #invertebrates #arachnology #arachnids #acarology #acari #mites #watermite

The bold jumper loves the bees.

I almost forgot it was #MiteMonday! From under one of my reliable dead logs just a few days ago, a mesostig with its prey, a tiny white springtail; a slug for scale; and a smaller, paler mesostig crossing paths with another springtail (which it did not try to eat).

A transfer of life.

#NewSpecies!
New spider from #india just caught our attention:

Indothele amboli

Treatment: https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D087A3-FFEF-FF9A-D6C6-FC5D884FF832
Publication: https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2025.981.2827
#ejtaxonomy #IndotheleAmboli

#FAIRdata
#science #OA #openaccess #biology #taxonomy #ecology #biodiversity #nature #wildlife #conservation #animals #invertebrates #arachnology #arachnids #spider

I did not expect to read the phrase "males have terminal nuptial gift sacs on their penises" today but here we are

A delightful paper comparing mating behaviour across _Leiobunum_ harvester species which have, or lack, nuptial gift-giving, out of Mercedes Burns' lab at the University of Maryland Baltimore County: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2025.123150

Detalle de la pequeña araña Thomisus onustus, araña cangrejo.
#invertebrados #invertebrates #macro #spider #araña #aracnidos #photography #nature #naturaleza #fotografia #arachnids

#NewSpecies!
New jumping spider from #china:

Zabka dianmian

Treatment: https://treatment.plazi.org/id/380287A8-FF8E-FF84-A5E2-607CFD908691
Publication: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5538.3.1
#Zootaxa #ZabkaDianmian

#FAIRdata
#science #taxonomy #ecology #biodiversity #nature #wildlife #conservation #animals #invertebrates #arachnology #arachnids #spider #jumpingspider #jumper

The other day when I finally got around to cleaning the computer out, and literally the cobwebs, I wondered to myself wtf spider is the one that always makes webs inside the case and is never seen. I think I might have found the subject. I just saw it crawling along but after taking the photos I noticed there was a random array of the fine webs on another loop of cable above this that look like what was inside.

During this recent spate of warmish weather I've been checking my go-to sumo mite (_Allothrombium_) trees. It's still too early for a dense population, but there are definitely a few out and about!

Here's an earlier video I took of sumo mites wrestling: https://youtu.be/qZ0Ml6VXujg

Flipped over a piece of log on a big dead stump and there were tons of those little iridescent blue-purple springtails, but also several mesostigs. I was watching them hoping one would catch a springtail, and one seemed to be questing about for something. Then it chased after one of the other mites, flung itself on its back, and after some tumbling around ended up clinging to its underside. Then, this. I'm not even sure what's happening, I don't even know what appendages these mites use for sperm transfer.

edit: oh yeah I forgot to add they're totally having sex

The joy of photography is having infinite subjects. The tragedy of photography is not having enough time to photograph them all. This is from two yrs ago. Definitely need make some time to look for more jumping spider's in my garden this year.

The first #MiteMonday in a while! The wet dead leaves are a bountiful source of predatory mesostigmatid mites.

I discovered last night that my new(ish) phone takes pretty good closeup shots. Caught this spider setting up shop under an outside light on my shop. Don't know the species.
#spiders #arachnids #bugs #naturephotography #closeup #oregon #oregoncoast

Tiny spider with dotted-line legs. Possibly Ethobuella tuonops. New blog post: https://wanderinweeta.blogspot.com/2025/03/along-for-ride.html #VancouverIsland #Spiders #Arachnids #Invertebrates

Tiny spider with dotted-line legs. Unidentified. New blog post: https://wanderinweeta.blogspot.com/2025/03/along-for-ride.html #VancouverIsland #Spiders #Arachnids #Invertebrates