Female
Male
Habitat: Australia
Status: Not Listed
This odd-shaped spider is interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly, this is a type of crab spider known as Stephanopis barbipes. The word barbpipes means ‘bearded legs’ and that’s exactly what the male of this species has – fuzzy little pom-pom legs! I wonder if they have to trim their beard-y legs every now and then to stay looking fresh.
Females, though they lack the funny beards, also have a peculiar trait. They are really amazing actors. Say whhhattttt. Yes. They are. They can ‘play dead’ when a predator approaches by lying upside down with their forearms stiffly outstretched and back legs tucked tightly in. No one likes to eat dead spiders, after all.
