Our August spider of the month (SOTM) is this giant jumping spider (Hyllus sp.; Salticidae), photographed by Hannes Claasens, who spotted the spider hiding among his mother’s ferns in Marloth Park in Mpumalanga. Hyllus was the son of Heracles and Deianira in Greek mythology. I do not know why the spider was named after him. The … Read more

Our July 2022 Spider of the Month (SOTM) is this scorpion-tailed orb-web spider (Arachnura scorpionoides; Araneidae), photographed by Desiré Pelser in Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal. The name “Arachnura” is derived from the ancient Greek “arachne” (spider) and “uro” (tail), and the species epithet scorpionoides is self-explanatory. This “tail” can be moved by the spider, and sometimes it … Read more

Our June 2022 spider of the month (SOTM) is this inland black button spider (Latrodectus renivulvatus; Theridiidae), found by Wessel Pretorius during a Spider Club spider walk at the Haarwegskloof Renosterveld Reserve in the Overberg region, and photographed by Jarrod Todd. This is the more common and widespread of four black button/widow spiders found in … Read more