Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. A captivating new species of arachnid from the late ...

Spiny-backed orb-weavers are known for their crab-shaped bodies and spotted abdomens. Vicky McMillan Special to The Island Packet/ The Beaufort Gazette As spiders go, spiny-backed orb-weavers ...

In western Australia, in a patch of ancient forest undisturbed by people, researchers set up pitfall traps with the goal of collecting elusive spiders. Their survey yielded two rare female specimens ...

A fossil of a spider-like creature was discovered in Illinois’ Mazon Creek after 308 million years. Photo by George Rosema via Unsplash At first glance, this fossilized eight-legged creature looks ...

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ITHACA, N.Y. -- Like the glitter and glare of Las Vegas beckoning tourists to the gambling tables, the orb-weaving spiny spider flashes its colorful back to lure unsuspecting quarry into its web. The ...

The family of spiders known as “orbweavers” (family Araneidae) contains several species that are variable in color and shape. But even despite all of the diversity in appearance, there is one family ...

Wolf spiders are straight out of a horror movie with their hairy bodies and long spiny legs. The arachnids are common everywhere in the country, including Texas. While there’s no concrete “wolf spider ...

At first glance, this fossilized eight-legged creature looks like a type of spider. But when scientists looked closer at the legs etched into the fossil, they were stunned by its spiny features. Due ...