Piratula hygrophila, a wolf spider that “loves water” by name. Indeed, this species thrives in wet and damp ground level habitats. #lycosidae #spidermacro

Yellow-legged wolf spider Pardosa fulvipes. These nimble buggers prefer Eastern Europe; they have never been found west of Germany and Italy. At my summer cottage in Central Finland they are plentiful. #lycosidae #spidermacro

Bathyphantes nigrinus, tiny spider from leaf litter. “Bathys” means deep in Greek, and “phantes” refers to appearing. In a bit of a mystical way since both “phantom” and “fantasy” arise from that word. So Bathyphantes spiders emerge from the deep. #linyphiidae #spidermacro

Orange-legged spider Gongylidium rufipes is a sheet-web weaver from family Linyphiidae. It lives in bushes and undergrowth. G. rufipes is very common in Finland where I live. #spidermacro #linyphiidae

Meet Lepthyphantes leprosus, a dwarf spider with a rare preference of living indoors. My wife found this 3mm long minibeast from our kitchen wall in Central Helsinki. #linyphiidae #spidermacro

Young male Theridion sp. found next to Acropolis in Athens, Greece. #theridiidae #spidermacro

Uloborus plumipes: spider without venom. Usually spiders kill their prey by injecting venom with fangs. But some species wrap an insect with super tangled silk into a tight package and cover it with digestive fluid. After a while the soup is ready. Athens, Greece. #uloboridae

Pretty little jumper from Athens, Greece. Its home base and hunting ground is National Garden right next to the Syntagma square. Species: Evarcha jucunda. #salticidae #spidermacro

I saw this pretty Linyphiid in her sheet-web woven in a lamppost in Athens, Greece. I needed to bring it home and put it under the microscope, so I bought a bottle of absinthe for storing the sample. Now I am happy to report the ID: Frontinellina frutetorum. #linyphiidae

Heliophanus kochii, a stunning jumper I found on a public beach in Piraeus, Greece. #jumpingspider #salticidae #spidermacro

More specifically: Mesabolivar cyaneotaeniatus.

Still presenting the seemingly endless bounty from my July trip to Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Spiny orb-web weaver Gasteracantha cancriformis. #spidermacro #araneidae

Mesabolivar sp., a gorgeous Pholcid spider from Rio de Janeiro, 🇧🇷 #spidermacro #pholcidae #arachoctober

Orb-web weaver of genus Wagneriana from Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷

Quality cobweb weaver from Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷: Thwaitesia affinis. There’s amazing biodiversity in the city! #theridiidae #spidermacro

Micrathena sp. female spider from Rio de Janeiro. What an amazing thorny shape! #araneidae #spidermacro

Spiders of family Pholcidae have a specific eye arrangement: clusters of three eyes on the sides, and two eyes in the middle. Many species, including Carapoia lutea shown here, have really long legs. This resemblance to harvestmen led to the nickname “daddy long legs spiders”.

Free hugs! But beware of spikes. Female Gelanor zonatus from Brazil. Being a member of family Mimetidae, she hunts other spiders for food. #spidermacro #mimetidae #rio

Striped female spider (Leucauge volupis) from Rio de Janeiro. Amazingly, she manages to wear the colors of Brazilian flag 🇧🇷 AND a tin foil sweater. #spidermacro #tetragnathidae #spider

Spiders have eight legs and two extra limbs called pedipalps, located in front. Pedipalps are usually short. Not so with Gelanor zonatus! This Brazilian male sports palps long enough to win a boxing match against any species with a regular reach. #mimetidae #spidermacro