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ninasch.bsky.social
Nina 🌿
@ninasch.bsky.social
520 followers 280 following 330 posts
She/her – Diagnosed nerd.
Studying Psychology / Philosophy.

Based in Switzerland.
(And yes, I have a thing for spiders.)
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ninasch.bsky.social
Nina 🌿 @ninasch.bsky.social · Sep 2
Hi, I'm Nina 👋🏻
and this is a new introduction.

Former architectural draftswoman and current hobby naturalist, now pursuing a BSc in psychology.

Here, I mainly post about critters with a few too many legs that we must honour and protect at all costs. (Occasional ramblings might be included).
Image of a pug named Alice (runs the show) sitting on a concrete block. Her emotional support human (account owner) right next to her. A picture of a critter I love to talk about are spiders. The image here depicts a rather large, dark jumping spider gazing directly into the camera. This is Evarcha acuata (ger. "Dunkler Sichelspringer"), one of my favourite encounters. @salticidaeily on Tumblr told me that "This is the very species which inspired fascinating recent studies about spiders' ability to sleep and enter REM-like states!" I mean, how cool is that? Humans enter REM states when we are dreaming. This could imply that spiders experience dream like states just like we do!
Reposted by Nina 🌿
janephuong.bsky.social
A 13-year search for one of the world's rarest flowers in Indonesia ends in a 'magical experience'
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
Researcher cries after finding rare flower in Indonesia
A team of researchers describe the "magical" experience of finding a rare species of flower in bloom deep in the Sumatran rainforest after a 23-hour trek.
www.abc.net.au
November 26, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Reposted by Nina 🌿
apsciencebylyn.bsky.social
Just a child 🥹
#EmotionalSupportSpood
Tiny black Phidippus jumping spider on a bit of grass, peering up at you curiously
November 26, 2025 at 4:15 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
I've been asked by a few people why I chose to study philosophy in the age of LLMs like ChatGPT.

I know this might be hard to understand but... I want to learn how to write and think for 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. This is 𝘸𝘩𝘺 I enrolled.

I also believe that critical thinking has become more important than ever...
alexarrelia.bsky.social Alex Arrelia @alexarrelia.bsky.social · 2d
Watching people become extremely attached to using ChatGPT to write for them has impressed on me the importance of developing enough self esteem, to not feel like you need your thoughts to be co-signed and composed by a machine.

Nobody believes their thoughts are good enough. They probably are.
November 24, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Reposted by Nina 🌿
nickybay.bsky.social
Blind cave spiders~

This occurs due to the process of regressive evolution. In an environment without light, vision provides no advantage in finding prey or avoiding predators. The loss of their eyes means that energy and resources once used for eyes are instead allocated to other traits.
November 23, 2025 at 2:36 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
I started raising her from corm in April this year. She has now produced corms herself. I am so proud of how she keeps growing.

I had to up her pot size today. Needless to say, I am nervous. Alocasias are famous to be dramatic about it.

(If she dies, I will cry. Violently.)
#Alocasia #Houseplants
A freshly repotted Alocasia azlanii.
November 21, 2025 at 1:09 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
A pug snug as a bug in a rug.
Very cozy. 10/10.

#Pug #Dog #ATinyLittleHouseDemon #VeryFierceButSleepy
A pug (Altdeutscher Mops) laying curled up in her owner's lap. This pug, compaired to the classical breed, has a longer nose and longer legs, allowing the pup to lead a much more healthier life.
November 21, 2025 at 12:59 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
Been busy writing essays and studying for uni, but haven't entirely missed out on meeting some of the locals.

One I haven't seen in quite a while are the bigger 'classical' house spiders, such as Eratigena/Tegenaria presumably pictured below.

#SpiderSky #spiders #inverts #arachnids 🕷️🌿
A spider (possibly Tegenaria or Eratigena species) sitting near the elevator inside a building. The metallic surface it sits on is white in colour, while the spider has an earthy brown appearance. An interesting brighter pattern is visible on top of the spider's abdomen. Relatively big leg to body ratio. Slightly hairy to better feel and navigate its environment.
November 16, 2025 at 10:30 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
You know what's super interesting?

The article states that there are primarily two different species living in that setup, one of which is Tegenaria domestica.

This is one of Switzerland's largest spiders found indoors. But don't worry, they usually stay out of sight...

#SpiderSky #inverts
rvbdrm.com Ravin Boodram @rvbdrm.com · 19d
World's biggest spiderweb discovered inside 'Sulfur Cave' with 111,000 arachnids living in pitch black.

www.livescience.com/animals/spid...
November 8, 2025 at 11:59 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
You cannot hear images.
The image:
November 4, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Reposted by Nina 🌿
spidersathome.bsky.social
Digging into the archives for the final day of #arachtober and found this very Halloween-y bold jumper who built a hammock in my garage door PIN pad (a popular location for sleepy spiders in my yard over the summer 💤)
October 31, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Reposted by Nina 🌿
nickybay.bsky.social
Been looking for a fresh specimen of Leucauge sarawakensis for a long time! Each time we found one, someone walked into its web. Hence, the ex situ shots.
October 30, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Reposted by Nina 🌿
kristiellingsen.bsky.social
Sorry spider haters, but this was just the most beautiful beast & I knew (nearly everyone) would need to see it 😉. It sat frozen, up on its toes, on the edge of Leeman (WA) salt lake while I took pics. Unfortunately it was too big (body length 1.4cm) for my lens. #spider #Lycosidae #Tetralycosa
Most of a wolf spider, taken from directly above. The last segments of a few legs have been cut off by the frame. It is standing on holy salty sand, so the background looks like a solid slab of black specked beige. The spider is a mainly soft grey body with four black eyes showing. The abdomen is marked with a grey line and black rimmed blobs all over it. This made it incredibly hard to see if you weren't paying close attention. The legs are a more pinky white with diffuse black barring. If it was big enough people would be wearing the "pelt" as luxury coats. It's gorgeous. The same spider taken from a low angle, looking at the face slightly angled. This shows the female palps and the entire set of 8 black eyes. It also showed how the spider was right up on its "toes" ready for a fast get-away (or maybe the blinding white salt was hot to stand on). There is a bit of a shadow from the intense sunlight. Spider description is on the other photo.
October 30, 2025 at 2:30 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
An orb weaving spider by the bus stop, covered in small rain droplets 🥹

(Presumed Larinioides sp.)

#Arachtober #arachnids #inverts #spiders #SpiderSky
Juvenile spider (orb weaving species) covered in rain drops.
October 30, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Reposted by Nina 🌿
okcsalty.bsky.social
Courtship dance of the peacock spider 🕷️
October 27, 2025 at 1:13 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
Nuctenea umbratica.

These spiders may look terrifying, but they're absolute sweethearts. ♥️🕷️

This is likely one of Mother's offspring. "Mother" was the N. umbratica that I observed for nearly two years before she passed.

#SpiderSky #OrbWeaver #Spiders #invertebrates #Arachtober #arachnids
Orb weaver Nuctenea umbratica frontal view. A very flat, dark brown to black spider. Sitting on a metal ring that holds a sign post. The spider was previously hiding in the crevice between ring and post. Some of these spiders are curious enough that if you exhale very lighly onto them (so they can sense you), they might leave the crevice to see what's going on, just like this one did. Same spider (Nuctenea umbratica) from the top. The pattern of an oak leaf (folium) drawn on its abdomen, indicated by white lines on both sides.
October 21, 2025 at 2:49 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
Oh, to be a spider and rest in a flower's petal...

#Arachtober #SpiderSky #Spiders #inverts #nature #flowers 🌸💭
A spider curled up beneath soft webbing on a flower's white petal. Same spider, legs slightly stretched out in front. Looking cozy.
October 21, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Reposted by Nina 🌿
entomemeology.bsky.social
October 15, 2025 at 8:52 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
Today, I present to you a gorgeous male Larinioides sp.

As adults, male orb weavers will leave their webs to look for a female. This is why one encounters male spiders strolling about.

They mean no harm. They are just looking for love.

#SpiderSky #Arachtober
#inverts #spiders ♥️🕷️
Frontal view of male orb weaver (Larinioides sp.) gazing into the camera. The spider has a brownish red colouration and light brown patterns. Dorsal view of same spider. Males of this genus have quite long legs compaired to the females. This is nicely visible on this photograph since all four legs on one side are neatly stretched out. One the other side the first leg is angled, possibly providing the spider a better hold onto the wall it sits on.
October 15, 2025 at 8:34 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
A green crab spider that me and the husband encountered on our walk through the woods the other day.
(assumed Diaea dorsata)

#SpiderSky #Arachtober #Spiders #inverts #CrabSpider
Frontal view of crab spider (assumed Diaea dorsata) on a leaf. Green prosoma, brown eye region, brown patterned legs. Same crab spider dorsal (top) view. First two pair of legs stretched out in a fashion which makes the spider appear crab like.
October 14, 2025 at 5:57 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
Today, a pancake.

Assumed subadult Nuctenea umbratica.
Orb weaving spider. Primarily nocturnal.
A personal favourite.

Very flat.
Very cute.
10/10

#SpiderSky #inverts 🌿🕷️
#Arachtober #Arachnids #spiders
Dorsal (top) view of a subadult Nuctenea species. Possibly Nuctenea umbratica, since they are commonly encountered in my area. Lateral (side) view of the assumed subadult Nuctenea umbratica.
October 8, 2025 at 8:36 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
Found a friend enjoying the sun today.
(assumed Pardosa sp.)

#arachtober 🕷️🌿
#spiderSky #wolfspider
Front view of a tiny brown wolf spider. Top view of same tiny brown wolf spider.
October 7, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Reposted by Nina 🌿
ninasch.bsky.social
A gorgeous spider I came across the other day. (Larinioides sp., Araneidae)

#SpiderSky #spiders #invertebrates #arachnids
Dorsal view of the orb weaver. Her base colouration is a darker brown with lighter markings typical for the genus Larinioides. A more frontal view of the same spider.
November 28, 2024 at 9:32 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
It's dangerous to go alone. Here, take this moth with you.

#nature #teamMoth 🦋🪲
#bugs #insects #photography
Lateral (side) view of a brown moth. A fuzzy first pair of legs stretched before it. Small, equally fuzzy face with big dark eyes and feathery antennae. Same moth dorsal (top) view. Very fuzzy. Big stretch included. 10/10, would recommend encountering.
October 5, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Reposted by Nina 🌿
ninasch.bsky.social
It seems like the orb weaver Agalenatea redii really enjoys to play hide and seek 👀

#SpiderSky #orbweaver #nature #invertebrates #photography #arachnid 🌿🌻
Agalenatea redii hidding within the inflorescence of a dead Umbellifer (Apiaceae). Agalenatea redii disguising itself as a dead flower bud of an Asteraceae.
July 28, 2025 at 9:06 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
When people ask me what I do for self care:
tichatnwa.bsky.social natou @tichatnwa.bsky.social · Oct 1
watching a spider spin a web outside my window
October 2, 2025 at 4:08 AM