Subscription Center
Alex Wild is an Illinois-based entomologist who studies the evolutionary history of ants. In 2003 he founded a photography business as an aesthetic complement to his scientific work, and his natural history photographs appear in numerous museums, books, and media outlets. Follow on Twitter @myrmecos.
Alex Wild is an Illinois-based entomologist who studies the evolutionary history of ants. In 2003 he founded a photography business as an aesthetic complement to his scientific work, and his natural history photographs appear in numerous museums, books, and media outlets. Follow on Twitter @myrmecos.
I was entranced by this image when it appeared today in my facebook stream:
The evil eye? Or just a developmental anomaly?
Captured by the talented Malaysian photographer Liew Wk, the photo shows a developmental asymmetry in size between the anterior median eyes of this Asian jumping spider. I do not know what caused this imbalance. Perhaps each side is a molt out of sync, or perhaps this individual is a mosaic of male & female parts. I wonder if it has troubles catching prey, or if the little spider brain has adapted to deal with the unconventional visual signal.
Wk’s image is the best sort of nature photograph. The spider appears bemused, as with a raised eyebrow, but the oddness also keeps us entrained to the underlying biology. So we linger.
About the Author: Alex Wild is an Illinois-based entomologist who studies the evolutionary history of ants. In 2003 he founded a photography business as an aesthetic complement to his scientific work, and his natural history photographs appear in numerous museums, books, and media outlets. Follow on Twitter @myrmecos.
Rights & Permissions
Dissecting the controversy about early psychological response to disasters and trauma
Winning the War against Cervical Cancer
The SciArt Buzz: ScienceArt On Exhibit In May/June 2013
My Heart is in Oklahoma now #OklahomaStrong
Physics, Metaphysics and Cosmology Collide in New E-Book, Possibilities in Parallel: Seeking the Multiverse
An Unheralded Breakthrough: The Rosetta Stone of Mathematics
See what we're tweeting about
BoraZ @eyeforscience Too much coffee moved your left hand from "not" to "boy" ;-)
eyeforscience Too much coffee, boy enough food. Ow, my stomach lining.
johnrplatt Huh. Acupuncture helps endangered sea turtles recuperate - http://t.co/NZXAJZFpAv
YES! Send me a free issue of Scientific American with no obligation to continue the subscription. If I like it, I will be billed for the one-year subscription.
Share
Email
Print
Add a Comment
You must sign in or register as a ScientificAmerican.com member to submit a comment.
Click one of the buttons below to register using an existing Social Account.