Disco Down with the Mirror Spider

If you ever get a notion to have a 1970s-themed party, you should consider inviting the Thwaitesia spider, because you will not need a mirror ball. It is the mirror ball. Well, sort of. There are patches on the abdomen that are like sequins or a series of mirrors. Scientists think they know what causes this effect.

Thwaitesia argentiopunctata image credit: Wikimedia Commons / Poyt448 Peter Woodard (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Although these spiders have not been studied extensively, scientists think it is likely that the same thing is happening here that has happened in other spiders. More specifically, a waste product called guanine is stored in special cells under the skin. It really does reflect light.



Also, the cells with the this material are not static, and the spider can make them almost disappear when it has the notion. They are not there by chance or at random. If you reflect on it, you can see that our Creator is exhibiting his design skill once again.

The eye-catching reflective patches on the abdomen of this Thwaitesia spider certainly make it one of the prettier arachnids. “Like a disco ball with lots of different mirrors” is how Queensland Museum spider expert Robert Whyte described it, speculating that the shimmery spots “scatter light and make it difficult for predators to see it.”

To read the rest of this short but fascinating article about that '70s spider, click on "Mirror spider 'like a disco ball'".

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