The spider of the month is this jumping spider (Evarcha ignea), photographed by Robert Wienand in Nelspruit, and found by his daughter inside their house. There are 92 recorded Evarcha species in the world, with 16 occurring in South Africa. The males of E. ignea and E. prosimilis have these red faces, but E. prosimilis … Read more

Our August 2021 spider of the month is this palp-footed spider (Palpimanus sp.; Palpimanidae), which is most likely a newly discovered species. The spider was found by Prof. Charles Haddad in the Richtersveld National Park, in leaf litter, but the photo was taken by Ruan Booysen, who accompanied Prof. Haddad on this Northern Cape fieldwork. … Read more

Our July 2021 spider of the month is this beetle crab spider (Mystaria sp.; Thomisidae), taken by Bruce Blake in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal. These crab spiders mostly prey on bees and wasps. They will often drop down on a thread of silk above their unsuspecting prey, and usually bite the bee or wasp behind the head. … Read more