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feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Trinity Walls
@feelinginspidered.bsky.social
390 followers 74 following 140 posts
PhD candidate (Elias Lab) | spider scientist | salsa/bachata dancer | science communicator

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feelinginspidered.bsky.social
I did my daily 20 min spider search and ran across this guy! Phanias species have stunning faces and remind me of skeletons. He was beautiful and perfect for practicing macrophotography. Thanks little dude!

#Spiders #Bugsky #SciComm #Inverts #Macro
May 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Beautiful molt!

Green bottle blue tarantula.
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens
April 27, 2025 at 3:28 AM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
My little alien molted successfully! I was super worried about her molting while I was in Crete, but she waited until right after I got back. I'll post another photo after she flips over and stretches out. Congrats Aurora!

Green bottle blue tarantula
#spider #transformation #bugsky #alien #inverts
April 25, 2025 at 3:43 AM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Hello everyone!

I got busy for a while but I'm back and had some adventures! I took a course in Crete and met some amazing spiders along the way, including this handsome fella. Europhrys herbigrada. These guys were everywhere!

#Greece #Spiders #Cute #Inverts #Adventure
April 22, 2025 at 5:57 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Lost leg but not heart♥️!

Practicing macro again. Found this one outside. I like this picture because you can see where the spider lost/autotomized its leg. Spiders can release their legs and regrow them when molting. Cool to see it up close.
#Spiders #Science #SciComm #Bugsky #Macro #Survivor
Photo of a jumping spider that lost/autotomized its leg between the coxa and trochanter segments. You can see the dark brown stump where the leg was lost right next to the pedipalp. Spiders can release their legs when in danger and regrow them during molting. (Many spiders stop molting after reaching adulthood and are therefore unable to regrow their legs). The muscles constrict and pull on the articular membrane where the leg detached, reducing blood loss until the blood clots and a brown plate forms over the site.
March 1, 2025 at 5:01 AM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Same momma from two days ago. Looking much better. More active. She got spooked and jumped off the table. I'm glad she felt safe down there but I think she missed her goal of getting away from the "scary human." 😅

#spider #bugsky #Inverts #surprise #cute
February 27, 2025 at 5:50 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
She's done it again! Thank you Kathy Nagel for the bracelet! She let me pick the species too. I love it!

#Spiders #Jewelry ##SciComm #SciArt #Bugsky #Beautiful
February 26, 2025 at 5:06 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
When you've been guarding babies for so long and it's finally time to eat!

This lady has refused to eat because of her eggs. But the babies hatched and she's finally ready! Look at her shriveled abdomen. Enjoy your food momma. You deserve it!

#spider #bugsky #inverts #ecology #scicomm #lunch
February 25, 2025 at 6:39 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Happy Valentines Day from Phidippus princeps pulcherrimus!

Love her little heart! ♥️

#Spiders #ValentinesDay #Inverts #Beauty #Bugsky #Heart
Phidippus princeps pulcherrimus Photo taken by Edwin (Shiyang) Wu Phidippus princeps pulcherrimus Photo taken by Edwin (Shiyang) Wu
February 14, 2025 at 6:48 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Male Phidippus otiosus (Canopy Jumping Spider) chilling on a branch in Florida. I love seeing their colors against the forest background. They were often above my head, but this guy wasn't too high!

#Spider #Ecology #Fieldwork #Inverts #Bugsky #SciComm
February 11, 2025 at 6:00 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Okay so, new thoughts. Front view, not as cute! Spider definitely wins. Side and back view, adorable. The spider has competition for sure.
February 7, 2025 at 8:56 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
So, a lab member caught a jumping spider. Adorable. Then, we realized the spider had been parasitized. Spider dies and we get this chunky fly. So, as scientists, we ask the obvious question...

Which is cuter, host or parasite? My lab is split. I am team spider!!!

#Spider #Ecology #Bugsky #Lablife
Life cycle of a hunchback fly that parasitizes spiders. Credit: Thomas Cassar
February 7, 2025 at 5:10 AM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
No coffee for you!

I was rehousing this spider and she ran up the side of my cup and gave me this look. I almost gave in. Jumping spiders are so expressive.

#spider #coffee #cute #inverts #lablife
February 4, 2025 at 2:25 AM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Cute clumsy critters!

We went scorpion hunting last night using blacklights. Didn't see any (too cold, wrong season), but we found some other friends!

#Inverts #Glow #Ecology #Aposematism #Bugsky #Cute
February 1, 2025 at 3:48 AM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Gotta clean your face before starting the day!

Spiders don't have eyelids so sometimes they wipe their eyes with their pedipalps (short leg-like appendages in the front). It kind of reminds me of windshield wipers.

#Spiders #SciComm #Inverts #Bugsky #Behavior #Cute
January 30, 2025 at 7:27 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
When spiders get older, some lose the ability to produce silk. This one keeps trying. Her spinnerets are moving so much!
#Spiders #SciComm #Inverts #BugSky #Animalbehavior
January 30, 2025 at 12:01 AM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
This girl and I virtually visited a high school class in Oklahoma this morning. The students were thrilled and had excellent questions. They had just started a unit on arachnids! 😁

#Spiders #SciComm #Inverts #Outreach #Bugsky
January 28, 2025 at 7:44 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
As promised! Pictures Part 1: We built different types of webs, learned about spider diversity and communication, and looked at spiders under the microscope! The kids had a blast and so did we! #SciComm #Science #Spiders #Elementary #Teaching
January 28, 2025 at 2:30 AM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Happy Thursday! Back in Florida, my team ran across all these fall webworms. They were absolutely fascinating, but I was particularly captivated by this lady up top! Can you see her? Green Lynx Spider

#Spider #Bugsky #Invertebrates #InsectThursday #Ecology #Fieldwork

Photos: Jacob Saffarian
Team of researchers observing large silk tents Group of Fall Webworms (Hyphantria cunea) Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans) on top of fall webworm silk tents
January 23, 2025 at 8:18 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
It's here! Super excited. It's so compact and perfectly sized! Congrats @spiderdaynightlive.bsky.social!
#spider #currentlyreading
January 22, 2025 at 7:11 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Took a break from writing to photograph a pensive spider on a pensive cat. I'd love to know their thoughts. I could use the inspiration. #Spiders #Invertebrates #Bugsky #Macro #Thinking
January 21, 2025 at 10:06 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Looks like someone couldn't wait! Took this girl out to give her some water. I planned to put a few drops in the dish but she kept reaching for the bottle 😅.
#Spiders #invertebrates #bugsky #lablife
January 20, 2025 at 9:51 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Happy Saturday from Aurora!

Green bottle blue tarantula
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens
January 18, 2025 at 6:40 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Day 3 of macro practice. Figured I've posted a P. regius and a hybrid, so today I tried a P. otiosus (Canopy Jumping Spider)! This chunky lady is a tree-dwelling species found in the SE USA. I sometimes see them gazing down at me when I'm doing fieldwork in Florida. #SciComm #Spider #Inverts #BugSky
Phidippus otiosus female (Canopy Jumping Spider) sitting on a log. This species is found in the canopies of hardwood trees in the Southeastern United States.
January 17, 2025 at 9:36 PM
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Finally got a picture of this little escapee! I study mating and hybridization. Canopy jumpers and regal jumpers have different niches, but they can overlap, hybridize, and produce adorable offspring. This one has been living on my desk for a bit. #Spiders #Invertebrates #Macro #Science #SciComm
Hybrid of Phidippus regius female x Phidippus otiosus male
January 16, 2025 at 7:37 PM