The Golden Egg

The spiders within the Araneomorphae known for their hunting abilities are also usually associated with an enlarged pair of median eyes. Specifically, the Lycosidae and Salticidae, the wolf spiders and jumping spiders, respectively. But there are spiders within the Araneomorphae that still use tactile and chemo-sensory cues to do their hunting. I came across this Cheiracanthium sp. spider, chowing down on some unidentified Hemipteran eggs:

Looking closely at the egg being consumed, you can see the regurgitated digestive juices are actually giving the egg a golden luster:

The Male Black Widow

There is no spider more iconic than the female black widow. With her glossy black abdomen, red, ventral hour glass, and preference for dark, human habitats, she has become the most easily identifiable spider in the United States. Her reputation as a devourer of mates precedes her, but few people could spot the male black widow if their life depended on it (and it probably won't, ever - males are typically less venomous than females, with a few exceptions)

Here he is, a male Latrodectus hesperus:

If you're wondering how you can identify a black widow male, bugguide.net has a basic run-down here. I'd like to focus on something far more interesting - penises. Technically, male spiders lack them, but that's ok, because they make up for it in a really unique way:

Those boxing-gloves of sex organs are called pedipalps. Females have pedipalps, too, but they're not nearly as enlarged as the males. In fact, that's a good way to determine the sex of a spider just by taking a glance - does it have boxing gloves or not?

Scytodidae - The Spitting Spiders

A Scytodes sp. spitting spider

One of strangest adaptations among spiders, and a personal favorite, is the ability of members from the Scytodidae family to spit venomous silk at their prey. The best part is, despite this sounding like a freakishly awesome trait that you may only find in the biodiversity-rich areas of tropical forests, spitting spiders can be found across the United States. I found this guy in my backyard last night:

The video below is a bit over the top with the sound effects, but it'll give you a good idea of how this spitting looks like in real time. The spiders will wave their bodies back and forth while spitting to form a "Z" pattern over their prey. Once the prey is immobilized, the spider moves in for a venomous bite, and then feeding: