One of my favorite spiders visited me in my work shed the other day and when I transferred it to the garden, it was apparently quite happy to explore a handy flower 
for long enough to make for a pretty good photo session. It’s a Holoplatys apressus, and one of the smallest I’ve seen (the diameter of the white flower is about 2 centimeters, 
about ¾ of an inch). This genus is unique in that the extremely low-profile body shape permits them to squeeze into unbelievably small spaces, which has earned them the 
common name of “flattened” jumping spiders. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is commonly found under the bark of manuka and kanuka trees, as well as on driftwood, 
which has led to theories that their ancestors may have “rafted” here from Australia, where there are many more species (at least 38 are reported on the iNaturalist website). 
I see them on the walls of my shed about once a month, on the average, and they are very shy. I’ve featured them on this website twice before, back in 2020—here and here.
-
Recent Posts
Subject Tags
- Abstract
- Action
- Animals
- Archives
- Argentina
- Australia
- Autumn
- Awards
- Birds
- California
- Cats
- Clouds
- Derelicts
- Dogs
- Family
- Filters
- Finland
- Fishing
- Flora
- Flowers
- Food
- Fostering
- France
- Friends
- Frost
- Fun
- Fungi
- Germany
- Harvestmen
- HDR
- Hiking
- Ice
- Insects
- Iowa
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Lakes
- Lichens
- Macro
- Mexico
- Minnesota
- Monochrome
- Music
- Nebraska
- New Zealand
- Night
- Omaha
- Pets
- Photo Philosophy
- Portraits
- Rainbows
- Rehabilitation
- Restoration
- Rivers
- ScotchChrome 1000
- Sky
- Snow
- Spain
- Spiders
- Spring
- Streams
- Street Portraits
- Street Shots
- Summer
- Sunrise
- Sunset
- Taiwan
- Travels
- Trees
- Turkeys
- Underwater
- Waterfalls
- Wildlife
- Winter
Categories
- A Fondness for Ferns
- A Fondness for Fungi
- A Liking for Lichens
- A Penchant for Pareidolia (About Face)
- Abstract
- Archives
- Family
- Family Flashbacks
- Family Friday
- Fishing
- Flashback Friday
- Fleeting Beauty
- Isolation Antidotes
- Melancholy Monday
- Menagerie Monday
- Music
- Nebulous Notables
- Night Photography
- Photography
- Places Remembered
- Poetry
- Point & Shoot
- Portraits
- Portraits of Pets Past
- Recipes
- Rehabilitation
- Saturday Sequel
- Serenity Sunday
- Silly Saturday
- SpringScapes
- Thoughtful Thursday
- Travels
- Tweaking Tuesday
- Uncategorized
- Warm Winter Wishes
- Webnesday
- Wildlife
Meta
krikitarts 
I especially like the first photo, where the elongated spider seems to extend the lines running through the flower’s petal. Of course the eyes have it, as they so often do in these critters, and in the last photo there’s that typical pose. Great photos!
The complementary lines were a very happy happenstance, for sure.
Wonderful captures!
Thank you, Cindy!
Wonderful pictures, Gary! :)
It was a pleasure to have this patience from my little subject. Thanks, Adrian.
What a fine looking creature, well captured by your images.
Such fun to find a young one like this and to have it turn out to be so cooperative.
That’s is a real beauty, Gary. Super shots as always!
Not as small as the wee ones that you bring to us, but it’s great fun to try to get down to their level and bring out their fine details.
Great shots of a very cute spider, Gary. Glad to see another post from you.
Other things seem to keep getting in the way of posting, and I’m trying to correct that, but there are so many. I appreciate the positive comment and the encouragement very much, Steve.
Ah, it’s hopeless,, as much as I admire what you’re doing here, my reaction is always an automatic “Eek!” – sad, isn’t it? ;-)
You gave me a good laugh, Lynn. I fully understand that their appeal is far from universal, but at least you’re keeping up your sense of humor, so I don’t think it’s really hopeless!
Fine shots of this talented little spider!
They really are talented, in their way. I am often amazed at the acuity of their sight and their uncanny ability to jump huge (relative) distances with such accuracy. Thanks!