#tangle web spiders

HAPPY FACE SPIDER
(Theridion grallator)

Wilson, S. 2014. “Happyface Spider (Theridion grallator)”

I’m not the biggest fan of spiders (to my shame), but I just can’t help but smile at the happy face spider. Endemic to the Hawaiian archipelago, these cheerful arachnids were named for the markings on their abdomens, bearing semblance to a smiling human face. The name can be a bit misleading though as the species has several morphs across the archipelago, some of which look very different to their namesake.