Lichen Spiders (Part II)

In an earlier entry, Lichen Spiders (October 18, 2007), Jennifer described the images of the spiders as intriguing and asked how difficult/expensive it would be to develop the seven images as separate posters/pictures.

I have since accumulated a collection of eight high quality poster size images (30 x 45 cm @ 240 dpi), presented in the thumbnail mosaic below. Interested inquiries should be directed to neil@ccwild.com

As can be seen within the collection, Lichen Spiders vary in conformity with their background occupancy. However, according to the Queensland Museum Inquiry Centre:

Spider colour is fixed at its previous moult. A slight exception being the abdomen with its much thinner walls which may change especially according to accumulated waste products or what it has eaten. So they can’t change colour like a frog, gecko or squid. Some species of spiders that camouflage on tree bark have multiple colour forms however.

So far as is known, a lichen spider would not be selecting a background according to colour as these are like most (but not all) spiders in having poor vision. It is expected that they would have other ways of detecting a nice lichen-covered background to sit against however.

Under closer scrutiny, the eight images (fully magnified), reveal variation to spider appearance through differential combing of hairs, which appear to have reflective qualities. In the eighth (bottom right) image, much of the blending is also complemented through the shared occupancy of its offspring (see enlargement).