For many of us out there spiders are not something that we deem cute or cuddly, no matter how spider lovers might describe them. In fact, the bigger the spider the creepier they are. Now we all know that the scientific name for the fear of spiders is Arachnophobia, which is something so common Hollywood has created several movies based on people’s fear of spiders. But, are all spiders really that bad?
Peacock spiders, which get their name from their black, red, and blue hindquarters, as well as their intricate mating rituals, might just be enough to make you change your mind, especially when you hear more about the Sparklemuffin spider. And, honestly with a name like that how can you be afraid of it?
The Sparklemuffin spider is one of two new spiders to be discovered in Southeast Queensland. Skeletorus was the second new species to be discovered by Madeline Girard, a graduate student from the University of California, Berkeley, and her friend.
Jurgen Otto, who is a well-respected entomologist as well as spider photographer, was not very excited when he first heard about Sparklemuffin. From what he told, Live Science Sparklemuffin had a very strong resemblance to other peacock spiders. But, Sparklemuffin eventually won him over. “It was in particular its docile nature and soft teddy bearlike appearance that really charmed me,” he said.
Now if Sparklemuffin is deemed cute, just what until you read more about Skeletorus. This one is anything but cute and actually got its name because of the white markings on its black body. To Girard these white markings looked like a skeleton. While Sparklemuffin might resemble other peacock spiders, Skeletorus certainly doesn’t. With how different Skeletorus is, it makes scientists wonder if there aren’t more peacock spiders left out there to discover.