Journal

What’s called a Spider and a Scorpion, but is actually neither?

on
5 November 2010
Did my first night shoot in a long while and discovered a unique night creature called the Whip Spider, also known as a Tailless Whip Scorpion (Amblypygi). It is neither a true spider nor a true scorpion, but a distinct order of the arachnid, having 2 extremely thin legs in front, modified into sensory feelers and 6 running legs with a stronger build. More interestingly, this species, unlike other arachnids, exhibits social behavior — the mothers caressed their young, and family members tend to gather together. See this article for the experiment conducted.

Tailless Whip Scorpion (Amblypygi) - DSC_7983#1 This Tailless Whip Scorpion (Amblypygi) was spotted on the ground. The eyes are so small that they looked like 1 single eye, like an alien.

Tailless Whip Scorpion (Amblypygi) - DSC_8002#2 Found another larger one on a tree bark

Bird Dung Spider (Cyrtarachne sp.) - DSC_7949#4 Bird Dropping Spider (Cyrtarachne). We spotted a number of them along the trail.

Bird Dung Spider (Cyrtarachne sp.) - DSC_7952#5 The spider looks like a blob of bird dropping, and the liquid within swirls very slowly. Took 2 shots to illustrate this.

Bird Dung Spider (Cyrtarachne sp.) - DSC_7956#6 Side view of the Bird Dropping Spider

Crab Spider (Thomisidae) - DSC_7962#7 Female Crab Spider welcomes us with open arms (legs)

Crab Spider (Thomisidae) - DSC_7966#8 Looks like a destroyed web

Crab Spider (Thomisidae) - DSC_7967#9 Last shot of the crab spider

Gram Blues (Euchrysops cnejus) - DSC_7976#10 A pair of sleeping beauties. Gram Blues, thanks to Khew for the ID 🙂

Longhorn Beetle (Epepeotes luscus) - DSC_7995#11 My favorite shot of a handsome Longhorn Beetle

DSC_8017#12 Mosquitoe??

Jumping Spider (Salticidae) - DSC_8026#13 Jumping Spider, my flash diffuser shapes becomes very visible in this pic

Caterpillar - DSC_8048#14 Emperor Cat (no thats not the real name)

Caterpillar - DSC_8054#15 Side view of the caterpillar

The complete album can be viewed here.
TAGS
RELATED POSTS
2 Comments
  1. Reply

    Commander

    7 November 2010

    Hi Nicky!

    For #10, both the sleeping butts are Gram Blues. 🙂 Awesome macro shots! That Longhorn beetle face gets my vote!

  2. Reply

    Nicky Bay

    7 November 2010

    Hi! Was half expecting that you'd be the first to pop by to correct it. Updated, thanks a lot! 🙂

LEAVE A COMMENT

NICKY BAY
Singapore

Hi my name is Nicky Bay. I am a macro photographer, instructor and book author, travelling the world to document the vast micro biodiversity that nature has to offer. Follow my updates and discover with me the incredible beauty and science behind our planet's micro creatures!

Copyright Notice

All images © 2008-2024 Nicky Bay unless stated otherwise. Reproduction of any content without permission is prohibited. Please read the Image Use Policy and contact [email protected] for licensing requests.

Mailing List

Like the content here? Get notified for new posts, stories, workshops and book launches! Your email will never be shared with others.

Like the content here? Get notified for new posts, stories, workshops and book launches! Your email will never be shared with others.