the Pelican Spider (Eriauchenius sp.)

Article in National Geographic today reminded me that I forgot to share one of my more prized finds on my recent trip to Madagascar: the Pelican Spider (Eriauchenius sp.). Scarcely larger than a grain of rice, this miniature predator reveals its truly alien shape when viewed close up. Pelican spiders are specialist predators on other spiders, and are sometimes referred to as 'assassin spiders'. Their uncanny long jaws enable them to strike other spiders at a distance, killing them at a range that they cannot fight back. Originally known only from 40-million year old fossilized amber, pelican spiders were later discovered to be alive and well in Madagascar.