March 28, 2024

Science Snapshot: Legs for Days

A 3X magnification view of a daddy long-legs (Pholcus phalangioides)Andrew Posselt, courtesy of NikonWhether you call them daddy long-legs spiders, cellar spiders, skull spiders, or any other label, arachnids of the Pholcus family have long legs and a bite that does not really affect human beings. Andrew Posselt, a transplant surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco, utilized image stacking to put together a detailed photo of Pholcus phalangioides at 3X magnification. The spiders picture took 4th location in this years Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.