Ladybird spiders! This 6-9mm, brightly-colored male, emerges from silk-lined burrows in some grassy hills. Female spiders of the species are all black and slightly larger. The difference in males and females of a species is called sexual dimorphism, and can include size, coloring or ornamentation, form or structure, and behavior. Clearly, this species velvet spiders are named for the male’s bright red, spotted bodies.
This updated Eresus sandaliatus footage is from tvbuitengewoon.
In the archives: Spiders that hunt and eat fish, a newly-discovered species of cartwheeling spider, and the Peacock Spiders of Australia.
Updated video.
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